Waiting in the Wings
by Flowerperson
Summary: DISCONTINUED. Mariam and Kai both want to be independent, not relying on someone else. Not relying on ‘love’. But could there be love waiting in the fiery wings of Dranzer?
1. Waiting at the Bus Stop

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Beyblade, Kai (GothicSabrina stole him), Batman or Alien. But someday, I will steal something.  
**Title: **Waiting in the Wings**  
Chapter Title: **Waiting at the Bus Stop  
**Rating: **T  
**Categories: **Romance/Drama  
**Summary: **Dedicated to GothicSabrina. Mariam and Kai both want to be independent, not relying on someone else. Not relying on 'love'. When they meet, their opinions only grow stronger. But could there be love waiting in the fiery wings of Dranzer?  
**Feedback: **Reviews! YUM! Flames? Why would you bother? GothicSabrina better review, since it is her fault I'm writing this.  
**Status: **Chapters. But only if you review!  
**Notes: **Dedicated to GothicSabrina after her constant argument that Kai would NOT like that 'pink-haired bimbo' Mariah. So, I wrote a Kai/Mariam because I was hassled. Yep, hassle me and you'll get what you want. By the way, ahem… LOOK! A CLOWN!

I apologise to those that read my other stories, my laptop that had the files is… dead. I have to write the chapters all over again and now I do not have a permanent computer. I am kind of… 'Hopping', if you will.

* * *

**WAITING IN THE WINGS**

_Kai/Mariam  
Mariam and Kai both want to be independent, not relying on someone else. Not relying on 'love'. When they meet, their opinions only grown stronger. But could there be love waiting in the fiery wrings of Dranzer?_

**_Flowerperson  
_**© 2005

* * *

**Part I**  
_Waiting at the Bus Stop

* * *

_

Mariam sighed as she waited at the bus stop with her nearly empty coffee cup in her hands. It was late now, past midnight, and the silver stars were absent due to the un-clear sky. Not to mention the air pollution caused by this darn, factory-infested city. The white moon was hidden behind the misty clouds.

She had found that life back with the Saintshields, with Ozuma in their village had been too boring. Far too boring. Joseph, a growing teenage boy now approaching his dreaded last teenage years, wanted to go to somewhere that he could hang out and not be scolded by the village Elders and Mariam – being his sister – agreed with no resistance. She was getting agitated there anyway, and Ozuma had been smothering her.

Of course she loved him, but she loved him differently to the way she loved him when they started their relationship. He was more like a close friend than a boyfriend, or a lover, or even a husband.

So she had travelled to Tokyo with Joseph. It seemed the logical thing to do, since they spoke Japanese and they had been there before. Mariam still kept in contact with Max (just as a friend, only as a friend) and he was able to look for some apartments for her. It had been quite difficult, but they found a one-bedroom flat that she could afford with a job (though Max paid for the first month of rent, but Mariam promised him that she would pay him back as soon as she was able to).

Finding a job had proved even more difficult. No one wanted an inexperienced, twenty-three year old with no written proof of an education. She had no CV, no recommendations and the overdue rent was mounting up slowly but surely. Max was paying the first lot off, but Mariam felt bad just loading these bills on him. She felt useless, and she hated feeling that way. She was an independent woman, not needing the help or money from some _man_.

The blue haired woman had found a job as a secretary for a construction company. This job was far too long for walking so she would have to get two buses – a B90 and a 157 – to get between home and the workplace. The pay was normal, just enough to cover the rent and the food shopping with a little bit extra. When she had enough money, she was going to buy a mobile for herself and one for Joseph.

Taking a sip of the now cold coffee, Mariam tapped a rhythm against her leg. Tonight she had been piled with some extra work and promised a pay rise if she finished it before the next day. She had finished it at 11:57, just in time. Unfortunately, this meant she would have to travel home past midnight but at least she could get one bus – a N90 – and be done with it. Safe at home and safe with her brother. She would crawl into her bed and travel to the lovely place where she could dream.

Gone was the orange and red dress, red and black boots and red headband. Instead, she wore a white blouse and a black skirt with some comfortable but scuffed black shoes. She still wore her gold earrings and her gold wristband. Draped over her arm was her black jacket and in her left hand was her handbag with her purse, her apartment keys, her beyblade Sharkrash, her ripcord and her launcher.

Yes, still after seven years **(1) **since Saintshields had faced the Bladebreakers, Mariam still kept her beyblade, as she thought most competitors from back then still did. Why not? It demonstrated what skills they had learnt and what obstacles they had overcome in their childhood. They had felt grown up then, and how Mariam wished to be a child once again.

There was a sudden wolf whistle and the blue haired female nearly jumped out of her skin. Her head turned to the direction of which she had heard the sound and saw a group of males lurking around a bench about a dozen yards away. Some were leering at her (making her increasingly uncomfortable) while the others laughed like a pack of hyenas.

_Men…_ Mariam thought to herself, finding herself growing agitated that these males were sizing her up like a piece of meat. She wanted to say something, being Mariam and Mariam _always _had to make a sly comment but she knew they would turn hostile and they outnumbered her six to one. No way would she be able to fight them off. These past few years had made her rusty in her fighting techniques and even her speed was not what it used to be when she was sixteen.

"What's up, pretty lady?" one of them called as the others broke into uncontrollable laughter. Mariam rolled her eyes sharply then clenched her fists –crushing the empty coffee cup.

Just wait for the bus, she told her brain; if you ignore them, they will get bored.

More wolf whistles and steps coming closer. They obviously would not get bored anytime soon and if Mariam made any sudden movements (i.e., getting her beyblade out and launching it so Sharkrash could nip at their feet), it would be dangerously foolish.

"Pretty lady?" another called, "Why don't you come home with us?"

_Because I don't want to, idiot. _The first was within two metres of her now, and she was getting slightly nervous. She didn't trust this scenario, not one bit. Where the hell was that bus?

Vaguely, she heard a shout in the far distance but was unable to make out the words fully. Stop…? Stop it? Stop what? It sounded like a male, but it was too far to be one of the men in front of her.

The 'leader' was in arm's length now and she could practically smell his putrid breath that stank of alcohol and tobacco.

One guy at the back laughed, "Cat got your tongue?" She clenched her fists tighter and looked to the gang of boys gradually but tactically surrounding her. _Now or never, Mariam._

Mariam pushed her leg back and hit the man that was about to grab her from behind in between his legs – painful. She ducked under a punch then tripped him up. Her roundhouse kick didn't manage to hit anyone, but it made them step back. All she needed was a little path out, and then she would be able to lose them. One punched her in the back of the head and she stumbled forward but then crouched and did another sweeping kick, knocking two of their feet. Her head really did ache now, but she had to remain focused and stalling would enable the ones she had already hit to recover.

She lunged forward desperately and pushed a man away so he fell on his back and pulled down the one behind him as well, leaving a clear path. Not allowing others to fill in their places, the green-eyed ex-Saintshield member ran as fast as she could. It seemed only a matter of seconds before she heard the gunshot; her face paled and she waited to feel it…

* * *

Kai had somehow picked up the habit of patrolling the streets at night. It seemed a strange thing to do, and Tyson (still the arrogant, loudmouth pig) had made a joke that maybe he wanted to be a Japanese version of Batman. And he would be called… Phoenixman! Or something like that… 

Unfortunately, six years **(2) **after Kai's last beyblade tournament against BEGA, he did still keep in contact with Tyson and the rest of the Bladebreakers (including Hilary, since she was now Tyson's fiancée). He even still conversed with Tala, Bryan and Spencer by letter or on the phone. He hadn't heard from Ian at all. Mystel occasionally visited Tokyo but Ray said he was spending a lot of time in the White Tiger village.

He knew that Ray was beginning to dislike Mystel. When he was in Ray's village, he would talk only with the girls and show off in front of them. The one most talked to was Mariah, and Ray knew that she had a slight attraction to the blond beyblader. Though Ray and Mariah still weren't officially 'going out', everyone knew that they both were hands-off. Kai just hoped that Ray would marry Pinkie and get it over and done with. With this new threat, Ray probably would.

The reason Kai watched the streets when there was no light other than the moon and stars? He couldn't sleep. Nightmares from his earlier childhood, nightmares of Boris and his grandfather, nightmares of water, nightmares of Brooklyn **(3) **and nightmares of losing. They all ganged up on him and he couldn't take it. He would wake up sweating and screaming. He would then promptly throw up and shake uncontrollably. He could hear their whispers.

_Made perfect…_**(4)**_ sinking… slowly sinking… "You're history…"… kid's game… "BEGA DOESN'T NEED YOU, KAI!"… Kai Hiwatari has lost to Tyson Granger… not so perfect anymore…_

Gasping for breath, Kai leant over and took in deep breaths. Even when conscious these thoughts plagued his brain. He could hear them all laughing at him. Loser Kai… _Im_perfect Kai… Useless Kai…

"Stop it…" he whispered to the voices, "Stop it!" he hissed. They continued taunting him, tearing at his mind and ripping at his soul. They had no heart to play with because he was **heartless**. If they continued this, his body would soon follow. His hands began to shake and he clenched them in an attempt to stop their trembling.

_You're heartless… who would want you? Who would love you? You're a loser. You're broken. You're a Nobody. You're faulty. You're IMPERFECT!_

"STOP IT!" he bellowed and the voices instantly stopped without as much as a whisper. Now Kai was left back in his peaceful silence, and he revelled in it. Finally, it was a place where he felt at home. Empty streets, dark sky, silent sounds… yes, he preferred life this way. Much easier if no one is around to watch your breakdown.

Kai carried on walking down the abandoned streets as he slowly regained his breath. He was better alone than with someone else. He didn't _want _anyone to love him, or even anyone to love. That would make him dependent on the person and if she did leave him, he would be left broken. Maybe his problems would scare her. Maybe she would only want to go out with him because of his fame when he was a teenager. Maybe she would only go out with him for his money that he had inherited off Voltaire. Maybe she just wanted someone to love her, and didn't love him back.

It would be much simpler to not get involved in the whole relationship issue.

A gunshot tore Kai out of his thoughts as his body turned to the direction of the noise that began to echo around him. He did not even have to think of what to do as his feet ran towards the source of the sound. His hand went in his pocket and pulled out his launcher, ripcord and Dranzer – his trusted beyblade that he had gotten when he was just a child.

Approaching the location, he got ready to launch his beyblade…

* * *

But no pain came. She turned slowly, her pulse begin to race and the hairs on the back of her neck standing up. Her heart was going to thump its way out of her chest, like that alien in that movie Alien. Wasn't it called a chest-buster or something? She did not have time to think about this as the man holding the black handgun took a step closer, the weapon pointing ominously at her face. 

Instead of shooting her, he had shot the sky to stop her from escaping. And it had worked. Damn, she had not thought for one second that they may have a gun.

"Where do you think you're going, girl?" he asked, making sure the safety was off. She stayed silent, staring at the offending firearm still situated so that if a bullet were to be fired, it would enter her head right between the eyes. This man knew how to use a pistol, and that chilling fact scared Mariam even more.

"Well?" he questioned, coming closer. There would be no doubt that he would miss now and by the time Mariam so much as raised her hand or ducked a centimetre, the gun would be fired and Mariam would die. She knew that there was no plastic or rubber bullet in there, or even a sign that said 'BANG!'… She hoped it was a sign that said 'BANG!'…

However, she just couldn't let this guy intimidate her. She was Mariam! _She _was supposed to be the intimidating one! She was superior and damn well knew it. No pitiful gun could scare her. Even death did not frighten her.

Mariam was about to say a colourful range of curses when the gun was suddenly knocked out of his hand by something small and blue. The man cursed and looked around. The others looked confused at they stared at the rotating, small object.

"What the…" the leader said, "What is that? A spinning top?"

"No," Mariam said, recognising the object even after seven years. Who would have guessed, eh? It seemed pretty improbable and cliché but hey, she could go along with it. "It's a beyblade. It's…"

A voice interrupted her. "Dranzer."

* * *

**Authoress' Notes**

There. I started a Kai/Mariam story. Please review, as I am new to this couple and I am eager to see people's opinions.

**(1) — **According to AbsoluteAnimeDOTcom, Mariam was sixteen years old in V-force. If this takes place seven years after that, she should be twenty-three and in this story, she is twenty-three. Get it? I apologise if the information is incorrect.

**(2) — **If it is seven years since V-force (and G-Revolution was one year after that), then it would be six years since G-Revolution (the tournament with BBA Revolution against BEGA). According to AbsoluteAnimeDOTcom, Kai was fifteen years old in G-Rev (fourteen years old in V-force). Six years later, he would be twenty-one. So, with this information I got, Kai is two years younger than Mariam.

**(3) — **In G-Revolution, when Brooklyn and Kai were battling to see who would get the fifth place for the BEGA team, Brooklyn (or evil Brooklyn, or even his bit-beast) made Kai have hallucinations of sinking in water (Kai has a fear of water) and Hiro telling him that he was not good enough to beyblade anymore. After losing and being injured, Kai walked around in an empty-like state until he went to see Tala, and saw an improved version of his beyblade – Metal Dranzer. This is only what I can remember, since my tapes were taped over by football. ((Sobs))

**(4) — **Apparently (GothicSabrina told me -), Kai was genetically altered to be 'perfect' when he was small.

Cookies for those who review. The 'Green Goo' for those who don't.

_**Flowerperson **(R a v e n o f D e s p a i r 1 3 AT a o l . c o m)_


	2. Waiting for Recognition

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Beyblade.  
**Title: **Waiting in the Wings**  
Chapter Title: **Waiting for Recognition  
**Rating: **T  
**Categories: **Romance/Drama  
**Summary: **Dedicated to GothicSabrina. Mariam and Kai both want to be independent, not relying on someone else. Not relying on 'love'. When they meet, their opinions only grow stronger. But could there be love waiting in the fiery wings of Dranzer?  
**Feedback: **Reviews! YUM! Flames? Why would you bother?  
**Status: **Chapters. But only if you review!  
**Notes: **Second chapter… yay…

I apologise to those that read my other stories, my laptop that had the files is… dead. I have to write the chapters all over again and now I do not have a permanent computer. I am kind of… 'Hopping', if you will.

**Reviewer Responses  
GothicSabrina: **You DID hassle me so do not deny it! I will not threaten you with another clown, but Pennywise IS behind you. We've discussed this… NO ONE IS GOING TO DIE! Unless it is a plot twist… Tyson IS gay… (shudders) but not in my story. No yaoi in my story. Nope.  
**Bluestray: **Yay, I updated.  
**CuteBeyblader: **I'm glad you liked it.  
**Brown Eyed Bakas / SilverWolf-Ryuki: **Joy to the world… lalalala… I like that song. Catchy. Don't die! I can't stand another murder on my hands. Uh… did I just say 'another'? Oops… Yep, blame GothicSabrina's hassling and nagging.

* * *

**WAITING IN THE WINGS**

_Kai/Mariam  
Mariam and Kai both want to be independent, not relying on someone else. Not relying on 'love'. When they meet, their opinions only grown stronger. But could there be love waiting in the fiery wrings of Dranzer?_

**_Flowerperson  
_**© 2005

* * *

**Part II**  
_Waiting for Recognition

* * *

_

_Mariam was about to say a colourful range of curses when the gun was suddenly knocked out of his hand by something small and blue. The man cursed and looked around. The others looked confused at they stared at the rotating, small object._

"_What the…" the leader said, "What is that? A spinning top?"_

"_No," Mariam said, recognising the object even after seven years. Who would have guessed, eh? It seemed pretty improbable and cliché but hey, she could go along with it. "It's a beyblade. It's…"_

_A voice interrupted her. "Dranzer."

* * *

_

Mariam turned abruptly and saw a male shrouded in the shadows of the buildings around them. It didn't help that it was pitch black at night but even though his face, most of his body and therefore his identity was hidden, she knew who this man was. The way he stood – his arms folded and his legs slightly apart – was still reminiscent of the fourteen-year old boy she had met last time she visited Japan by order of their village elders.

The men looked confused, staring at the anonymous beyblader then looking back to the spinning Dranzer. Some watched in confusion, while others gazed at it in fear. The leader took a step towards it and suddenly the beyblade leapt up and slashed across his left leg, causing blood to ooze through the gash and stain his grey trousers.

He swore in pain as he fell to the floor. The others stepped back cautiously, only gazing at 'Dranzer' in pure fear. It leapt up again and slashed at another's arm. Now the gang were truly petrified and decided this would be a pretty good time to retreat. What if it jumped in more 'private' areas?

They backed away, leaving their leader whimpering on the floor as his warm blood began to puddle around his leg, tainting the road. He closed his eyes and began muttering to himself hysterically. He moved slightly then grit his teeth in pain as the pain continued to assault him. How dare they, he thought to himself, how dare his gang – his back-up and his closest friends – just leave him here at the mercy of some guy with a sharp, dangerous object? If he died, they were going to be haunted.

She didn't notice the owner of Dranzer was near her until he spoke. It made her jump and look to him with wide green eyes.

"Get up," he ordered. Short and sharp, just like his teenage years, Mariam thought with a small smirk. He really hadn't changed. Then again, had she? Had Joseph? Had Ozuma? Even Dunga was the short-tempered ape he was back then.

The man clenched his fists as he pushed himself up, his face contorted in pain. "I… can't…"

"Hn," he grunted and walked over to the man hurting and pulled him up roughly by the collar of his black jacket, yanking him to his feet. The slate-haired man glared at the shivering, injured male and Mariam wondered if he was going to do something drastic – something dangerous, at least for the man. She almost felt sorry for him. Almost.

He threw him to the side dismissingly then crossed his arms again. "Pathetic," he remarked. The man – summing up his remaining strength – stumbled away into the darkness, leaving a red trail behind him. Mariam turned to her rescuer and raised an eyebrow. He didn't even glance at her, just continued staring at the man retreating, as if making sure that he was indeed 'retreating' and would not return anytime soon.

Mariam knew that face he had made. He would think twice before confronting a lady at night.

She frowned, "Kai," she spat with a surprising amount of venom. She didn't mean it to sound like that. However, it seemed to others that everything she said was an insult or a sarcastic comment. Oh well…

Kai looked to her in confusion then sighed in exasperation as he ran a hand through his slate-coloured hair, "A fan?" he asked in exhaustion like he had just pushed his way through a whole crowd of squealing fan-girls **(coughGothicSabrinacough)**.

The jade-eyed woman glared at him with an intense heat as she clenched her fists in fury. _How dare he associate me with those… those… light-headed, lust-driven BIMBOS! I am not some obsessive fan-girl! The nerve of that… BOY! ARGH!_

In a moment of fury, Mariam pulled out her beyblade, launcher and ripcord. She prepared Sharkrash and launched it at Dranzer, battling it with sparks flying off the both of them.

* * *

Kai's eyes widened as he recognised the small object. How could it be possible? Some adult woman possessing a beyblade? Only those that competed in the World Championships bothered to keep theirs as a souvenir – something to remember the good times of when they could just have fun. They didn't have to worry about the troubles of adulthood such as tax, jobs and a home. Not that Kai needed to worry about these things. He had inherited enough money to go without a job for the rest of his life without any problems.

He staggered back as her beyblade knocked his roughly, forcing them back.

"What's wrong, _Kai_? Afraid of a little competition?" she taunted, her bright green eyes challenging him openly. There was a sense of familiarity around the girl, but he couldn't place his finger on it. Before he could ponder on this further, his beyblade was hit with another threatening attack. Clenching his fists, Kai replied with a tackle.

The girl smirked and their beyblades continued to clash. Her beyblade was dark blue and silver with some yellow parts and it looked like she had a bit-beast but he couldn't see what it was. He had seen this beyblade before, he was sure…

"SHARKRASH! ATTACK!" the woman ordered and her beyblade began to glow as it spun faster and faster. Kai – perceiving that this would be a very powerful and dangerous attack – commanded his beyblade to do one of its first moves that he had not used in a _long _time.

"SPIRAL SURVIVOR!" **(1) **He shouted and Dranzer began to also revolve faster, darting around so it would be difficult to attack the evasive beyblade. The woman with dark blue hair grinned devilishly. She swept a bang out of her face then concentrated more of her power into her beyblade 'Sharkrash'. She seemed confident, and Kai would be happy to rid her of that.

Honestly, he saved her life and she just suddenly challenged him for a beybattle. By all means, he was up for it; it had been so long since he had faced someone. This looked like she would be a decent opponent. But not worthy, no one was worthy to face him.

No one.

Not even Tyson Granger; even though he kept his title as Junior Beyblade Champion for three consecutive years, Kai was still the better beyblader. Tyson was still an amateur. Always will be.

_Does that mean you were beaten by an amateur, oh Professional One?_

Kai ignored the little voice. Who cared what it thought? He certainly didn't and he had to focus on this match. Speaking of which, shouldn't he pay attention to what was going on?

He looked to her beyblade ('Sharkrash', was it? Yet another thing that he recognised from somewhere way back, in his past) and saw a bright light emerge abruptly from it, making a pillar of a blinding, white beam. The glow began to grow stronger, and Kai got the sudden feeling that maybe a basic move such as Spiral Survivor would not be able to stop a bit-beast attack, especially from one that was as charged as this.

The Russian pulled up his white scarf so it covered his mouth and nose then allowed the ends to billow behind him in the nightly breeze. "The game is on, girl."

She scowled, "Don't call me girl, _boy."_

A light suddenly shot at Dranzer, but no creature leapt forward. Dranzer was knocked back and forth violently as the radiance continued to assault it. Kai frowned, what was going on? The bit-beast… it was… invisible?

_Invisible bit-beasts! The Saint-shields! Their ancient bit-beasts!_

Looking to the blue-haired, green-eyed woman, Kai suddenly remember _who _this was, and dear readers, it shocked him so much that when another beam hit it, Dranzer ceased to spin.

"Mariam?" he asked in pure astonishment. What was she doing here, in Japan? Visiting Max? But why would she be out past midnight? Why was she wearing a suit? These questions made Kai's head hurt, and he suddenly wanted a coffee. An Espresso seemed pretty damn good. He definitely needed a jolt of caffeine.

She gave him a bored look then Sharkrash jumped back into her hand. She put the beyblade, launcher and ripcord back in her handbag and sniffed indignantly as she flung it over her shoulder.

Beginning to walk away, Kai crossed his arms and tilted his head to the side. "That's it? No 'hello'? No 'thanks'? No 'how are you'?" He hadn't seen her in seven years and yet she was walking away like he was her worst enemy. He didn't know her that much, always classing her as 'Max's opponent' or the girl that seemed to boast a lot (but not as much as Hilary…).

The Saintshield probably was the best female beyblader he had seen. Mariah was a team player and was far too gentle, Emily was more into numbers than the actual game, Salima's beyblade was a cheap copy of Ray's, Julia was best with her brother Raul, Ming-Ming was some pop-star beyblade wannabe and hadn't Mariam been besting Queen before King jumped in?

Mariam turned to face him, "I wouldn't think you were the one for idle chit-chat, Kai." Her knowing grin did not affect Kai. He shrugged his shoulders and smirked playfully.

"Hey, you won the match, didn't you? The least I could do is buy you coffee." He picked up Dranzer and put it in his back pocket, "Besides, it's not everyday that I happen to stumble across a past opponent, or even a decent challenge." He was actually a bit annoyed that she won; he really must be slacking in his training. He wanted to make sure it was just a fluke.

"I have to get home. My brother is probably worried." Before Kai could say anything, Mariam began to depart, deciding that she would phone for a taxi. "Don't worry," she called, "I won't tell anyone how I managed to beat The Almighty Kai."

_Hn_, Kai thought then left for home so he could have a strong espresso. _That was just a fluke._

There would definitely be more beyblade training in the morning.

* * *

**Authoress' Notes**

**(1) – **Whilst reading a profile on Kai at AbsoluteAnimeDOTcom (again), it mentioned the defensive move 'Spiral Survivor' which made it difficult for another beyblade to attack Dranzer. If the description is wrong, I apologise! I have to say that I fail to remember this move.

Review please!

_**Flowerperson **(R a v e n o f D e s p a i r 1 3 AT a o l . c o m)_


	3. Waiting Alone

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Beyblade.  
**Title: **Waiting in the Wings**  
Chapter Title: **Waiting Alone  
**Rating: **T  
**Categories: **Romance/Drama  
**Summary: **Dedicated to GothicSabrina. Mariam and Kai both want to be independent, not relying on someone else. Not relying on 'love'. When they meet, their opinions only grow stronger. But could there be love waiting in the fiery wings of Dranzer?  
**Feedback: **Reviews! YUM! Flames? Why would you bother?  
**Status: **Chapters. But only if you review!  
**Notes: **HI!

**Reviewer Responses  
GothicSabrina: **Aw, maybe you're not like regular fan-girls – you're very obsessive and strange. And no, I'm not planning on killing 'Celery' or Hilary or 'The Pink Haired Bimbo' or Mariah. Ok? I hope you had a good time in England… was it York? Hey, can I borrow Kai's boxers? Just for a short while…

**SilverWolf-Ryuki: **Uh… ((hands a handkerchief)) There, there. Kai/Mariam _is _a good pairing, and one of my favourites but unfortunately, it's very rare ((sob)). And Max/Mariam, Ozuma/Mariam, Dunga/Mariam, Hilary/Kai or yaoi fans probably hate me for writing this pairing. Oh well… to me in the show, Tyson has some very strange qualities. But when paired up with Hilary, who can blame him? Another murder? Uh… course I haven't…

**Cute Beyblader: **Don't cry! DON'T CRY! Look! I updated! Be happy! XD

**Bluestray: **Yep, I updated. Because I like my readers!

**Andre: **YAY! A Mariam/Kai fan! ((hugs)) Fans of that couple are _so _rare and it's _so _unfair! I hope that you continue to read.

* * *

**WAITING IN THE WINGS**

_Kai/Mariam  
Mariam and Kai both want to be independent, not relying on someone else. Not relying on 'love'. When they meet, their opinions only grown stronger. But could there be love waiting in the fiery wings of Dranzer?_

**_Flowerperson  
_**© 2005

* * *

**Part III**  
_Waiting Alone__

* * *

_

"_I have to get home. My brother is probably worried." Before Kai could say anything, Mariam began to depardt, deciding that she would phone for a taxi. "Don't worry," she called, "I won't tell anyone how I managed to beat The Almighty Kai."_

Hn,_ Kai thought then left for home so he could have a strong espresso. _That was just a fluke.

_There would definitely be more beyblade training in the morning._

Mariam groaned as she opened the door to her apartment and saw the bomb site that was the kitchen. Running a hand through her hair, Mariam reminded herself never to ask Joseph if he could cook for himself. Take-away, though unhealthy, would be better than Joseph burning the whole darn apartment block.

Her brother was asleep on the sofa – the television on some sports news channel. Nothing interesting. Beyblading – though a few competitions went on – was no where near as popular as it was when Mariam, Joseph and _Kai _played.

Oh well, she _beat _him, and she was damn right glad about it. The truth was, she had gone into the battle thinking that she would win on the surface but knowing she would lose deep down. It turned out that her inner feeling was wrong, and that partly scared her. Kai, second in the Beyblade championships had been beaten by her, who probably wasn't even in the top ten.

There must have been something wrong with him – that was the only explanation. But what? He seemed fine and focused until he figured out who she was. It must have been a shock to see her in Tokyo, when she lived in a far, isolated village and was a guardian of ancient bit-beasts. She had abandoned her role that had been given at birth, and would never be able to return to her village again.

She poked her green-haired brother gently, then harder as he mumbled something about 'green eggs and ham' **(1)**. Resisting the urge to shake him, Mariam instead said his name. But it wasn't a whisper or a normal frequency. Instead, it was loud.

"JOSEPH!" she hollered and he instantly awoke, wincing from the damage to his ear drums. He yawned sleepily then looked up at his blue haired sister with emerald green eyes that they shared.

"Hey, you're back." He greeted, "I was getting worried. What happened?"

Mariam shrugged as she collapsed onto the sofa next to Joseph. "I did overtime for some extra cash. I didn't realise how dark it was, and I sort of got lost."

Hmmm… lost… more like got jumped by a bunch of jerks then got talked to by an even bigger jerk that had the audacity to associate her with bumbling fan girls. But she had beaten him, so she guessed it was even. And she hoped that she wouldn't see him again.

"Go on, bro. You need your sleep for school." She punched him on the arm and he yawned again as he stood up and stumbled towards his bedroom. "Oh… and Joseph?"

He turned to face her as he rubbed his eye, "Yeah?"

"Next time, get a take-away, ok?" He made a thumbs-up sign before pushing open his door and most likely burrowing into his covers on the bed and continuing his dreams of 'green eggs and ham'.

Mariam sighed as she looked around the apartment. The walls originally had been covered in peeling wallpaper with condensation patches. She and Joseph had gathered enough money for some paint (a grey, since it was very cheap) and painted the walls. The floor was a dark blue carpet but with ominous darker stains of unknown substances.

The kitchen, living room and hall were all the same room. The kitchen was in the left corner and had only a fridge, freezer, a stove and two dark grey counters with cupboards underneath. Their dining table was a small light blue folding table that came with two matching folding chairs that were very uncomfortable.

In the living room area, there was a small television (provided by the landlord as a courtesy) and a moth-eaten blue couch with more worrying stains of the unidentified liquids as well as numerous cigarette burns. Thankfully, none of the springs were broken and it was surprisingly comfortable. Despite the table and chairs, Mariam and Joseph frequently ate on the sofa. After all, smudges of mayonnaise or spaghetti-O's weren't going to make it any worse than it already was.

There were no ornaments or decorations, apart from a few photos. One was of all the Saint-Shields, another was of their parents, there was a photo of Mariam and Ozuma looking every bit the happy couple and there was another of Max Tate and that Emily girl's wedding. Mariam had been offered to attend, but had been unable to since at that time she was still in her village with Ozuma.

Yawning, Mariam decided to retire to bed also. She would have to wake up again tomorrow for work, but would think again before agreeing to working overtime…

* * *

After some intense training with Dranzer, Kai had a cooling shower as he thought about the events that occurred the previous night. It puzzled him on what the blue haired Saint-Shield was doing in Tokyo, and apparently her brother was also with her as she had said that he would have been worried. What was his name again? Jack? Jacob? Joseph? He was pretty certain it began with 'J'. 

Whatever. It didn't matter what her younger brother was called. Mariam must have been working for she was wearing a white shirt and black skirt with a suit jacket and comfortable, scuffed, black shoes. It wasn't something you wore when partying.

It also irked him that Dranzer had been defeated by her Sharkrash. His focus was thrown off by the realisation of her identity, true, but she still shouldn't have won!

Damn, this was driving him crazy, and his fiery bit-beast was requiring another shot at defeating the invisible spirit. The phoenix's pride had been damaged, and that was something neither Dranzer nor its owner could handle. They wanted a rematch. They needed a rematch. They _demanded _a rematch.

However, the beyblader was lost to him. He didn't know where she lived, where she worked… nothing. Their meeting had been by chance, or by fate, by whichever way you wished to look at it. And most probably, they would never bump into each other again. Thus, Dranzer and Kai's pride would remain forever broken and their desires for another game would go unsatisfied.

Argh, he needed his caffeine fix and he needed it soon. It was either caffeine or sleep and sleep would only contain nightmares of things in the past and his worst fears.

Kai got out of a shower and wrapped a white cotton towel around his midriff **(2)**. He walked out of the bathroom and down the corridor and stairs to the kitchen. He had no maids, butlers or any other staff apart from one, but she was currently on a break as she was not needed at the moment. He preferred to be alone in the house, and he didn't want others hearing his yells and screams of terror and pain when having a nightmare or witness him having a break down.

He hated being vulnerable in those moments, and did not want others to see them.

In the kitchen, as well as all the advanced gizmos that you would find in a rich person's kitchen, there was the best espresso-maker in the world's market of coffee-making machines. Imported all the way from Italy, its espressos were just as good as the adverts claimed, which wasn't very frequent in most products.

Sipping the brew, Kai instantly felt the fury of his wounded pride began to disappear and instead was replaced by a warm fire. He felt awake and alert, which was the way he liked to be.

The slate-haired Russian then walked into the living room and sat down on the black leather couch and turned on the 52-inch widescreen television. As always, he put it on the sports channel and was just in time to see the special report about a new Beyblading academy in Russia near Moscow on top of the old Biovolt complex.

"_**Valkov Academy for Beyblade Potential is aimed at all Junior Beybladers. Ages range from five to sixteen and both boys and girls are accepted. There is no fee, and beyblade parts are given for shockingly low prices." **_

"_**The Academy – founded by previous Blitzkrieg and Demolition Boy Tala Valkov – is replacing the abandoned Biovolt complex, once owned by Voltaire Hiwatari followed by Boris Balkov, who then founded BEGA. The complex was rumoured to be a training facility that experimented and altered the genetic structure of its members. Kai Hiwatari – one-time Beyblade Champion – and Tala Valkov are thought to be examples of these experiments." **_

"_**Mr Valkov, however, was quick to make it clear that VABP is nothing like Biovolt. Seeing the many eager children signing up, this reporter here thinks it looks like a bright future for the beybladers of Russia. This is Jun Takenouchi for Channel Two News. Back to the studio."**_

Kai remembered with a small grin of Tala phoning him a few months ago and telling him that he was building a brand new beyblade academy on top of his bastard of a grandfather's complex. First of all, he had been apprehensive of the idea. Both Kai and Tala were still – after all these years – plagued by horror-filled memories of the biological experiments and genetic alterations.

His former team-mate had also told him of a new girl he had met. Kai couldn't remember her name. Rhiannon or something? Maybe it was Rebecca… Kai was never very good with names. Apparently, they were 'in love'.

Pfft. _Love_? What a load of garbage. Lust, desire, need… who wanted that? He certainly didn't. Lust was, after all, one of the seven deadly sins. Giving in to your desires showed your resistance was weak. Need was the worst. Kai prided himself on being independent, and needing someone else's companionship was pitiful. Tala was becoming soft, but Kai had not said this. He had simply grunted with mock interest.

Speaking of which, he should phone Tala back soon. They always took turns in communicating with each other every few months. Oh well, he could save it until later. He had someone else to phone. Picking up the grey handset, he dialled a number.

"**Hello?"**

"Hello, Gou." **(3)

* * *

**

**Authoress' Notes**

**(1) **— 'Green Eggs and Ham' is not mine. It belongs to Dr Seuss. I used it because Joseph's hair is green, as are his eyes and I was thinking of a combination of food and green… thus 'Green Eggs and Ham'.

**(2) **— ((drooling)) Gosh, I'm bad. Here's a little teaser for those Kai fan-girls out there. Don't say I don't do anything for you! Oh, and by the way, I expect him back when you're done for the next chapter.

**(3) **— I _could _tell you who Gou is… but then it would ruin the fun of revealing his identity later. I'm sure some of you know who 'Gou' is and if you do, well done. Very well done. ((grins))

Reviews are much appreciated. How about some of you guess who Gou is (hey, even if you know you can still see if you're right)?

_**Flowerperson **(R a v e n o f D e s p a i r 1 3 AT a o l . c o m)_


	4. Waiting for that Damn Coffee!

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Beyblade.  
**Title: **Waiting in the Wings**  
Chapter Title: **Waiting for that Damn Coffee!  
**Rating: **T  
**Categories: **Romance/Drama  
**Summary: **Dedicated to GothicSabrina. Mariam and Kai both want to be independent, not relying on someone else. Not relying on 'love'. When they meet, their opinions only grow stronger. But could there be love waiting in the fiery wings of Dranzer?  
**Feedback: **Reviews! YUM! Flames? Why would you bother?  
**Status: **Chapters. But only if you review!  
**Notes: **Uh… last chapter… take-away take-out

**WAITING IN THE WINGS**

_Kai/Mariam  
Mariam and Kai both want to be independent, not relying on someone else. Not relying on 'love'. When they meet, their opinions only grown stronger. But could there be love waiting in the fiery wings of Dranzer?_

**_Flowerperson  
_**© 2005

**Part IV**  
_Waiting for that Damn Coffee!_

**Mariam**

_Yawning, Mariam decided to retire to bed also. She would have to wake up again tomorrow for work, but would think again before agreeing to working overtime…_

**Kai**

_Speaking of which, he should phone Tala back soon. They always took turns in communicating with each other every few months. Oh well, he could save it until later. He had someone else to phone. Picking up the grey handset, he dialled a number._

"_Hello?"_

"_Hello, Gou."_

Mariam was currently on her much deserved lunch break, and was spending the hour in a popular coffee shop half a mile from her office. Hm, if you could call it an office. It was like a janitor's closet with a small cheap desk and a bright red telephone on top of it. The only good thing about it was the chair, which was quite comfortable. Problem was she tended to doze off while sitting in it.

The coffee shop was called 'Caffeine' and quite a popular place. The coffee was great, and the atmosphere was actually quiet despite it being full most of the time. People tended to come with a good book and even couples came and batted their eyelashes at each other whilst whispering declarations of love. She _hated _all that sap.

Anyway, at the moment she was tapping her fingers on the counter as she waited for the pimply teenager to get off the phone and serve her. She had no idea what he was talking about – or who he was talking to – but she was sure it wasn't for business purposes. 'Honey-Bee' could have perhaps been a slight hint.

She coughed, trying to attract his attention but was ineffective. She swore all teenagers had a hearing problem. '_Selective Hearing' _Joseph had called it with a look of affection in his eyes.

The blue haired woman was _never _like that as a teenager… well, maybe she was. She insulted the bumbling ape (a.k.a. Dunga), constantly thought about food and occasionally disregarded Ozuma and the village elders' rule. She was some rebel.

Though she was bordering on the line of jerk-ness, she wasn't a _complete _jerk unlike some certain Russian beyblader with silly blue triangles on his stupid, pale face that smirked all the time looking so smug and handsome… whoa! What the hell was that? _Handsome?_

_Oh, Mariam, you need to stop watching those anime soap operas! They're getting to you! Soon you'll be a fluffed up, vulnerable woman looking to cling onto the next man she sees! And you'll start crying because your toaster broke!_

Wanting to slap herself (but not being able to because people would look at her strangely), Mariam realised that the acne-suffering teenager was looking at her exasperatedly, chewing gum. "What'll it be?"

"Espresso… wait, make that a latte." Maybe it was the caffeine. She _had _drunk an espresso at work, and maybe the caffeine was still in her bloodstream, swimming round and messing up everything, including her brain.

There was a sudden voice, and Mariam swore mentally. _Speak of the devil… _"Fancy meeting you here." The voice was smug, arrogant, pompous, chauvinistic… the same tone that made her clench her teeth. However, she turned to him with a sweet mock smile and her emerald eyes fluttered at the Russian.

"Good afternoon, Kai, and what a coincidence it is." The smirk planted on his damn face widened.

"Indeed. Seeing as it is a _coincidence, _I propose we have a little re-match." Mariam scowled, so _that _was what he wanted. She should have known. It was just like Kai. He did not like losing, just as much as Tyson or even Mariam. Ozuma could cope with defeat, as could Joseph but hot-heads like her, Dunga and Tyson could not. It seemed Kai was the exception to this rule for he was not a hot-head, not really.

True, his bit-beast's element was fire, but his personality was ice. Kai made sly strategies, Kai made almost fool-proof plans and Kai _tended _not to rush into things head-first.

But she was not stupid. She _liked _having one over the fellow beyblader and she _knew _she would lose against Kai, when he knew her well, and had seen her weaknesses. Nope, Kai would have to settle with his defeat. He would have to let it fester like a parasite egg underneath his skin **(1)**. Kai had tasted the bitterness of defeat; she would not let him taste the sweetness of victory.

"Sorry. But it seems I've left Sharkrash at home." A bluff, of course. She never went anywhere without Sharkrash, but he didn't know that.

"Is that so?" he questioned, his mahogany eyes alight with arrogance and cunning. She didn't like looking into his eyes; you got a glimpse of what he was thinking, but never enough to know exactly what you should be afraid of. Then again, the answer was the straightforward. You should simply be afraid of Kai on the whole. Mariam was not afraid of Kai… nope. She wasn't _intimidated_.

He took a step closer, and Mariam suddenly wanted to re-evaluate her feelings of no intimidation. "Mm-hmm," she nodded, unable to form words in case she was to stutter. Stuttering in front of Kai was like sticking an alight rocket in your pants. _Bad idea! _

Kai tilted his head to the side, and then in sudden speed that she barely saw, he grabbed her black bag and opened the zipper, delving his hand inside as he grinned at her smugly.

"Hey! What are you doing? That's stealing, Kai! I have private things in there!" Oh yes, she had very private things in there. It happened to be close to Mariam's 'time of the month' and she had certain lady accessories in that bag, near the top for 'easy, emergency access'. She felt her face turn crimson and felt like shrivelling up and dying on the spot. "KAI!" she protested.

Disregarding the female products, Kai felt the sharp edge of her beyblade and brought it out, raising a brow as he held the object in his hand. "Pitiful, Mariam, truly shameful. Are the Saint-Shields even _allowed _to lie? They are 'Saints', after all."

She snatched her bag and her beyblade back, her face still blushing red as she zipped her bag and threw it over her shoulder. "I don't want a beybattle, Kai. I'm not sixteen anymore. I only have one hour break and I do not intend to spend it with an uncouth, arrogant man such as Kai Hiwatari that can only think about a kid's game!"

He frowned, "If it's just a kid's game, why do you keep Sharkrash with you? Why did BEGA and Biovolt use beyblades to attempt to take over the world? Why did Team Psychic waste millions on making copies? Why did the Saint-Shields want to seal the spirits of a stupid 'kid's game' into stone? Why are we all still remembering the past adventures we had?"

Mariam scoffed and turned away from him, crossing her arms indignantly. "We were just children, Kai. Children don't have adventures. It _was _just a game, nothing more."

Grabbing her shoulder and spinning her to face him, Kai spoke again, "Do you remember what it felt like as a child to launch the beyblade? To feel your bit-beast's power at your command? To witness a small object defy the laws of physics?"

She pushed off his hand and turned back to the counter where the teenager was sitting in a chair reading a book. "Excuse me, kid, where's my damn latte?"

'Pizza-face' shrugged, "I didn't want to disturb you and your husband."

The emerald-eyed female fumed, "He is _NOT _my husband! Get up and get me that damn coffee so I can get the hell out of here and away from the insufferable entity of arrogance! And make sure it's Take-Out **(2)**." The teenager got up, muttering, and filled a white polystyrene cup with the coffee and milk. Paying for it, Mariam departed quickly. Kai however kept with her, matching her paces. "Are you my stalker now?" she inquired, "Are you going to follow me to work?"

Oh God, she hoped not. Even Joseph didn't know the state of the dingy building she worked in – she only gave him the number for emergencies and forbade him from ever visiting. If Kai saw where she was employed… she would never live it down due to his constant smug remarks and venomous insults emerging from his poision-tongue.

But hey, at least she _had _a job. He probably just drained off his grandfather's millions like an irritating leech. Ha, what an entertaining visual thought – Kai the blood-sucker.

Now that she thought about it, he probably was slightly into vampirism with his strange face-painted blue triangles that he still kept even though he was a fully grown adult. Probably so he was well recognised, though the two-toned hair, pale skin, mahogany irises that made the room subzero, the white scarf and the stubborn and arrogant pose were a dead give-away, as was his grunts and voice that caused shivers down any female's spine – hell, even Mariam's however she wished to deny it.

He shrugged nonchalantly, "Would you like me to?"

Growling in fury, Mariam abruptly turned to him and threw her handbag at his face. He caught it coolly and watched her storm off. He called out for her, "Hey, don't you want your bag?"

But she was too frustrated to hear.

Mariam groaned as she collapsed onto her bed – her work clothes still on her body. She rolled over and saw her brother Joseph standing in the doorway looking at her with large jade green eyes, filled with tears and looking sad.

She immediately sat up and her face turned from one of exhaustion to one of concern, "What's wrong, Joseph?" He shrugged dejectedly but his lower lip trembled as if the tears were begging to be released.

"I had some trouble sleeping." He muttered. She thought about asking whether if it was anything to do with 'green eggs and ham' but that was for a less serious moment.

Mariam patted the side of her bed, indicating for him to sit down next to her. He complied, and she wrapped an arm around his shoulders then immediately took it away as she felt how warm and sweaty he was. It felt like he had just spent the whole day in a baking hot sauna. What was wrong with him? Was he ill?

"What's wrong, bro?" she questioned fretfully as she felt his hot and moist forehead. His green bangs were sticking to his slightly tanned skin. "Do you feel unwell? You have a terrible fever. Do you feel faint or nauseous? Should I call an ambulance or something? Have you eaten anything funny? Maybe we should—"

"It's pointless, isn't it?" he interjected as he supported his head on her shoulder. "We had everything we needed back with the Saint-Shields. Back with our village. I know you were really unhappy with Ozuma. But… staying here is doing nothing."

Nothing? Was that thought she was doing? They had been in Japan for two years and he thought it had accomplished nothing? All the hard work wasn't worth even something? It wasn't even worth the appreciation of her little brother, whom it was all for? She felt slightly hurt, and betrayed, but maybe it was the fever speaking.

"I don't see you at all. I can't understand most of this education stuff. You're stuck in a dead-end job. And look!" he gestured to himself weakly then ran a hand through his greasy green hair. His eyes lost their usual hyper sheen. He looked defeated. He looked tired. He looked… ill. "I'm seventeen **(3) **and I'm crying like a little baby! I'm nothing! I'm worthless!"

Nothing? Worthless? Insignificant? Joseph? 'Worthless' was something she would have written onto that ape Dunga's forehead, but definitely not Joseph's. Who had found out about the cyber bit-beasts? Why, Joseph of course. He was the crucial key when finding out about the mysterious organisation that seemed to also be after the Blade-Breaker's bit-beasts, especially the champion Tyson's.

Really, in that adventure Joseph and Ozuma had been the main players while Mariam and Dunga came for the ride, bickering as they did. Joseph was much more than nothing, and much more than something. He was _everything! _He wasn't valueless, he was valuable!

"You work so hard. I don't deserve a wonderful sister such as you." Didn't deserve her? _She _didn't deserve _him. _What brought on this sudden depression? This… sudden feeling of unimportance?

"Joseph, please calm down. Do you want to go to the hospital?" Truth was, she had no idea where the nearest hospital was and she didn't know if the emergency service would waste their time on a seemingly inferior case such as this, even if it terrified Mariam. "I don't really think you'll be well enough to go back to school tomorrow…"

"**_NO_**!" he exclaimed suddenly. "I _need _to go to school! I can only get it if I go to school!" Mariam did not question what 'it' was, she naturally assumed it was learning. Which was true, his falling back would not get better if he missed school.

"Are you sure?" she verified, "I'm not sure that's a good idea…"

He abruptly stood up and glared at her, "It's _my _life, Mariam! I can do what I want! It's not that you're with me long enough to be able to make any decisions!" And with that, Joseph departed, leaving Mariam very confused.

_Gee, Joseph. Moody much? _Oh well, it must just have been his fever. But he _was_ seventeen.It was not like she could stop him from going to school. At least he was showing some enthusiasm, which isn't what people could say about most teenagers – being the rude youths they were. However, she was still concerned. She'd check on him in the morning and would see how he was.

And _hope _that his temper and his temper_ature _were both down.

**Authoress' Notes**

**(1) — **In Science today, we watched a film about body parasites (nice) so I thought about putting it in as a lovely metaphor.

**(2) — **In my last chapter, I wrote that Mariam asked Joseph to get a 'take-away' next time. I completely forgot that Americans refer to what us Brits called take-away as take-_out_. So, I'll try to use American words but I'm not American, so it may be difficult. Sheesh, I put the language as English and yet I write 'American' words.

**(3) — **Right, according to AbsoluteAnimeDOTcom (yet again…), Joseph was 10-14 years old during V-Force. I have chosen him to be ten since he was very short and I want it to be a big difference in age between him and Mariam.

((Flowerperson walks on in an old-fashioned Police uniform twirling a baton)) (in a cockney accent, which yes, I do have) 'Ello, 'ello, 'ello, what's going on 'ere then? ((British Kid shouts out "'Ello, Gov'ner"))

Ok, ok. I'm stopping. Sorry, I just had the sudden urge and you know me: I'm extremely random. So… what _is _going on with poor Joseph? Is he ill? Or something else… hehe, I know! But you don't, so I'm not telling you.

Review please, especially you GothicSabrina. And all you ShadowReaders™ (people that read, but do not review)!

_**Flowerperson **(R a v e n o f D e s p a i r 1 3 AT a o l . c o m)_


	5. Waiting for Gratitude

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Beyblade.  
**Title: **Waiting in the Wings**  
Chapter Title: **Waiting for Gratitude  
**Rating: **T  
**Categories: **Romance/Drama  
**Summary: **Mariam and Kai both want to be independent, not relying on someone else. Not relying on 'love'. When they meet, their opinions only grow stronger. But could there be love waiting in the fiery wings of Dranzer?  
**Feedback: **Reviews! YUM! Flames? Why would you bother?  
**Status: **Chapters. But only if you review!  
**Notes: **Uh… I apologise if I offended anyone! ((bows humbly)) I am English and was trying to take the mick out of myself but obviously I've offended other Brits. Sorry.

* * *

**WAITING IN THE WINGS**

_Kai/Mariam  
Mariam and Kai both want to be independent, not relying on someone else. Not relying on 'love'. When they meet, their opinions only grown stronger. But could there be love waiting in the fiery wings of Dranzer?_

**_Flowerperson  
_**© 2005

* * *

**Part V**  
_Waiting for Gratitude

* * *

_

_He shrugged nonchalantly, "Would you like me to?"_

_Growling in fury, Mariam abruptly turned to him and threw her handbag at his face. He caught it coolly and watched her storm off. He called out for her, "Hey, don't you want your bag?"_

_But she was too frustrated to hear.

* * *

_

Kai wasn't sure how it happened, (Ok, he did. Mariam had thrown her bag at him and stormed off. He had looked inside it the day after and had found a rent form that had her address written down on it and had gone through a map to find the location. Damn he needed a hobby.) But he was now outside Mariam's – dingy, dusty, crusty – apartment holding her handbag.

Had she even noticed yet? She probably blamed him – women were known for doing that.

Should he knock? It was eleven Ante-Meridian on a Sunday. Did she work on week-ends? Would she go to work if she didn't have her precious handbag?

Oh well, only one way to find out. He knocked. There was a shuffle of chairs from the inside and then the door was opened away from Kai. A green-haired boy stood in the doorway wearing a black t-shirt and grey boxers. He rubbed his eye – looking confused – and blinked a few times. When he realised who it was, he grinned toothily.

"Well, well, well, stick a pole up my ass and call me Ozuma… it's Kai!"

Kai's brows furrowed at the comment. This was obviously Mariam's little brother (whose name he still couldn't remember) who was in the Saint-Shields, and he was still in his teens. He looked as if he was coming towards the end of it. He must have been around sixteen to nineteen now but he still looked like he did when he was a kid but taller.

Despite not knowing his name, Kai guessed. He knew it begun with 'J', right? And how many names could there be that begun with 'J'? Guessing wouldn't hurt… right? "Uh… Jack? Jacob?"

The boy chuckled, "Name's Joseph, nice of you to remember." Well, at least he wasn't offended by it. Mariam would have blown a fuse, and blown his head off as well.

However, Kai didn't apologise – he never apologised. "Is your sister in, _Joseph_?"

Grinning, the teen replied, "Yeah but I warn you: she's not a pretty sight. She just woke up and boy is she cranky. Why do you want to see her, anyway? What's going on?"

Kai lifted up her handbag, "She dropped this the other day when we bumped into each other." Dropped? More like she chucked it at him. Of course, he wouldn't tell her younger brother of her dangerous mood swings – he probably knew plenty about them.

"Ha, so that's where it went. You should have seen my sister. She was tearing the place apart, looking for that darned bag; girls, huh? So stressed over a simple accessory… then again, it did have Sharkrash inside it. And our rent money."

Joseph continued to ramble on and Kai's right eyebrow rose. Wow, this boy could certainly ramble on. "Uh… your sister?" he reminded the green-haired boy. He slapped his forehead and grinned shamefacedly.

"Oh yeah! Sorry…" he turned to the side and called out, "Mariam!"

A sleepy blue haired woman came to the door, running a hand through her wild tresses. Her eyes were half open and she was wearing a large, dark green t-shirt that came to her mid-thigh and brought out the emerald in her forest green eyes. "What is it, Joseph?"

And no, Kai was not going to notice how long her legs were. The exposed, pale skin most certainly did not look clear and soft.

_Don't look at her legs. Don't look at her legs. Don't look at her… Damn. _He did look at her legs. And yes, he _did_ notice how long her legs were. The exposed, pale skin most certainly _did _look clear and soft. Stupid male hormones were causing lust for some woman that he in _no way _found attractive. Ah, stupid lust! But he couldn't help being a man!

"Kai?" she rubbed her eyes and then her eyes suddenly widened in shock, "KAI! What the hell are you doing here? How did you manage to find out where I live? Why are you—" She looked down and then squeaked as she jumped to the side away from Kai's line of sight and poked her bright red face round the door and hissed. "What do you think you're doing? Just randomly showing up at my apartment!"

How dare that man have the audacity to show up when and where he felt like it! He was so… so… ARGH! Egotistical, chauvinistic, big-headed, arrogant, cynical… MAN! Said egotistical, chauvinistic, big-headed, arrogant, cynical man smirked, "Nice hello to you too, Mariam." He held up her bag, "Forget something?"

Her face turned an even dark shade of red and she snatched it back quickly. She reluctantly murmured her gratitude with a virtually silent "Thanks." Kai remained in her doorway and her face turned from embarrassment to puzzlement. "You can go now," she hinted not-so-subtly as she started to close the door.

Kai stopped the door by putting his foot in the way of the door's path. "That's a fine way to treat a man that saved your life, gave you back your bag and let you win in a beybattle."

She scoffed, "You didn't save my life. If it wasn't for you, I would have kept my bag," she realised what he had finished off with and her face turned red again – this time with indignation. "You did not _let _me win that beybattle! I won it fair and square! You just can't deal with the bitter taste of defeat, can you rich-boy?"

"Rich-boy?" he placed a hand on his heart and staggered back in mock-hurt, "I am deeply wounded by your nickname, Mariam. I never thought you would stoop so low. Is this how you treat all your guests? And if you _did _win that beybattle fair and square, wouldn't you want to prove your skill once more and shame me again?"

"Oh no," she said as she shook her head, "You are not tricking me into having another beybattle with you, Kai."

"Hey, wait a second. Rewind! What's going on? You saved her life? You beybattled? But Mariam, you never beybattle anymore!" Joseph was very bewildered, and was contemplating the temptation of ripping his green hair out. Kai and Joseph's sister beybattling? But they hardly spoke to each other when the Saint-Shields were here to take their bit-beasts. Did they even speak at all?

"It's a long story, bro," Mariam reached out with an arm and placed it on her brother's shoulder, "I'll explain later, I promise. Go home, Kai. Like Joseph said, I don't beybattle anymore. Do you want me to thank you again? Fine. Thank you, thank you, and thank you once more! Just leave me alone! _Please_!" It was awkward enough that he had seen her in a simple t-shirt! What was she doing going to the door for a stranger in just that piece of clothing, anyway? Was she losing her mind or something?

"Is that how you treat Max?" he asked.

Mariam's eyes narrowed to thin green slits. "Max is a good friend who has known me for seven years and maintained contact with me. He is not some egocentric, big-headed, conceited, rich-boy asshole!"

"And who is this egocentric, big-headed, conceited, rich-boy asshole of which you speak?" Kai inquired with an innocent-toned voice, infuriating Mariam to the point of no return.

"ARGH!" she growled with fury before slamming the door on his foot so hard that he withdrew it and lifted it off the floor. It was so painful! She must have broken it! Stupid woman! She shut the door and locked it.

"OW!" he groaned, "Hey! You broke my foot!"

"Oh, stop whining, Kai," she called from behind the door. "It isn't very becoming of you. Just take my advice and go home before I break another of your body parts. Namely the one you use to reproduce."

"You broke my foot!"

"Sure I did. Go back to your excessively large mansion, Kai." Kai knocked on the door angrily. No one got the best of him! He was going to prove that he could not be beaten by a mediocre player such as Mariam!

"Mariam!" No answer. "Mariam!"

"Excuse me; is there a problem, sir?" Kai turned and saw an elderly woman looking at him from down the corridor with a stern expression on her face and a cell phone held almost threateningly in her right hand.

"Humph," Kai grunted then limped past her to the stairs, "No, everything's fine – absolutely peachy."

* * *

"**And then I asked Mrs Jin if I could get an anaconda but she said that I couldn't because it could get out and kill everyone. So I got a chameleon instead and do you know what I called it?" **Gou's voice asked down the phone as Kai sat in a mahogany chair in front of his desk, going through the finances for the charities that the Hiwatari family (namely himself since he was the only Hiwatari who was able to deal with money and such) supported.

"No, Gou. What did you call it?" It was best to entertain Gou. _No one _wanted a cranky Gou.

"**Dranzer! Just after your bit-beast, right?"**

He smirked, "I'm glad you remembered." Gou showed promise, that was for sure, but due to an unfortunate accident with a gaggle of geese, did not approve of birds. Instead, he had an obsession with lizards.

"**Oh, I gotta go now. Talk with you soon!" **The dial tone played and Kai gently put the phone down. Phone conversations with Gou always calmed him down and talking of phone conversations, he really had to make contact with Tala soon. Heck, why not do so now? He'd be willing to do anything to get away from this darned paperwork.

Dialling the number, Kai put the dark grey phone to his ear and waited for the rings to stop sounding.

"**What?" **Odd. First of all, it was not Tala's voice, it was a girl's and secondly, it wasn't in Russian or Japanese. He couldn't quite remember what language… it would come to him soon. Despite not knowing what language it was, Kai continued to talk in Russian.

"Hello? Is Tala there? Tala Valkov?"

"**Humph! Tala Valkov? NAJEBANYE! NAJEBANYE! NAJEBANYE!" (1) **This was indeed in Russian, and the girl understood him. He was taken aback by her language… who was this crazy woman? Had he dialled the right number? Checking the number on the display, Kai was sure that he had put in the correct number.

There was a scuffle on the phone with a male voice – Tala's – trying to calm the psycho girl. **"Please, just calm down." **The girl laughed. **"Calm down? HOW THE HELL AM I SUPPOSED TO BLOODY CALM DOWN! Can't understand me? I'll speak your language! NAJEBANYE! NAJEBANYE! NAJEBANYE!" **Kai had to take the phone away from his ear. Wow, she did have a loud voice. _English_, he realised.

"**Raven, please just give me the phone." **Raven? **(2) **Was the name of this mentally-insane female?

"**Want the phone? Here's your bloody phone!" **There was the sound of the phone hitting something and a curse by a certain red-headed Russian.

"Hello?" Kai asked, worried for his friend's life. Had this crazy creature turned on him? And what was she doing there in the first place? There was a sound of someone groaning.

"**Urgh… hello? Who is it?" **Tala's voice. Kai exhaled in relief. He wasn't dead, but that didn't mean he was out of danger.

"Tala? Who was that?"

He chuckled, **"Oh, her? That's Raven. She's the girl I told you about. And uh… that's all the Russian she knows."**

"What? That's the girl you're 'in love' with? She's a psychopath!"

"**Yeah I know. Lovely, isn't she? Sorry about that. We've just… come back from the hospital. We got some news." **There was both excitement and worry in his tired voice.

"Hospital? What news?"

"**My, my, you're curious today, Kai."**

"Shut up. I've just been harassed by a mad woman."

"**I suppose she has a right to, though. She was late… _really _late so we went to the doctor's surgery and took she took a test and…"**

"No way!" Kai couldn't believe his ears. There was no way! "She's pregnant?" There was an agreeing murmur on the other side of the phone. "You… impregnated her? Tala, how could you?"

"**Yes," **the red head agreed with a defeated tone of voice, **"But I love her, I suppose."**

The mahogany-eyed Russian sneered, "You and love? Don't make me laugh."

Tala chuckled, **"I know. When I first saw her, I despised her but then she grew on me like…"**

"A wart?" the man with blue triangles on his face volunteered.

"**No!" **his friend protested. **"You'll understand one day, Kai."**

"Sure I will," Kai remarked sarcastically.

_Sure I will…

* * *

_

**Authoress' Notes**

**(1) – **'Najebanye' is Russian for 'f you'.

**(2) **– Those who read 'Dreams' and 'Apocalypse I: Blood Thirst' will recognise Raven. She only plays a cameo in this story.

Review, all you ShadowReaders™!

_**X Flowerperson X**_


	6. Waiting in the Principal's Office

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Beyblade.  
**Title: **Waiting in the Wings**  
Chapter Title: **Waiting in the Principal's Office (Uh-oh!)  
**Rating: **T  
**Categories: **Romance/Drama  
**Summary: **Mariam and Kai both want to be independent, not relying on someone else. Not relying on 'love'. When they meet, their opinions only grow stronger. But could there be love waiting in the fiery wings of Dranzer?  
**Feedback: **Reviews! YUM! Flames? Why would you bother?  
**Status: **Chapters. But only if you review!  
**Notes: **This is very, _very _dramatic.

* * *

**WAITING IN THE WINGS**

_Kai/Mariam  
Mariam and Kai both want to be independent, not relying on someone else. Not relying on 'love'. When they meet, their opinions only grown stronger. But could there be love waiting in the fiery wings of Dranzer?_

**_Flowerperson  
_**© 2005

* * *

**Part VI**  
_Waiting in the Principal's Office (Uh-oh!)

* * *

_

"_A wart?" the man with blue triangles on his face volunteered._

"_**No!" **his friend protested. **"You'll understand one day, Kai."**_

"_Sure I will," Kai remarked sarcastically._

Sure I will…

* * *

Mariam had never gone to school or anything similar to Japan's education system. Sure, she had been taught necessary skills such as mathematics, literature, science and languages at the Saint-Shield village but nothing like this. Principals… so many teachers… huge crowds of rowdy teenagers… hall monitors… She shuddered. How did Joseph cope?

Suddenly she didn't blame him for the little incident the other day – his _break-down_.

But it seemed that Joseph _had _finally snapped since he was the reason she was here. His principal had phoned her work and practically demanded that she came and had an emergency meeting with him regarding her little brother. Said little brother had been expelled indefinitely and they needed to discuss some _monetary _issues.

This meant more money lost.

This meant more overtime.

This meant 'DAMN IT ALL TO HELL!'

She had only met this principal once – and that hadn't exactly gone well. Mariam had managed to spill coffee down her new, white shirt on her way and the heel of her left shoe had broken (that was why she had resorted to flat shoes from then on), making her limp to the meeting and away. And not only that! Oh no! The janitor had bumped into her and she had thought that he was groping her so had punched him.

… She was _so _lucky he didn't file a lawsuit.

"Miss Shield?" the greying secretary asked as she peeked over her horn-rimmed spectacles. She was purely stereo-typical and the bright raspberry pink lipstick and striking blue eye-shadow finished the look off. No wonder Joseph got in trouble – there were too many people to laugh at! The brother and sister had always enjoyed a good joke and tended to be pretty blunt with certain people.

Hey, look at what they (okay, mostly Mariam) did to Dunga! 'Ape'… 'Gorilla'… the insults went on and on – sticking to the primate theme. Ah, good times, good times…

And why was her last name 'Shield'? Well, she _had _been a Saint-Shield and in her village, there had not been many people so last names were not required. Mariam had not even run into any people in Japan with the name 'Mariam' so she didn't understand why she needed one but apparently, Max had said that she did. It was for formal purposes, supposedly.

The blue haired woman stood up, "Yes?" Just send her in so she could collect her little brother and go! Oh wait… there was the financial stuff… damn. What did he do? Break a window or something? That couldn't have been a lot of money, right?

"You may go in now." She looked her up and down (noting the spaghetti stain on Mariam's collar and she could probably smell the evidence of dog faeces on her shoe – she had never been able to get rid of that smell properly) and her lips pursed disapproving. _Whatever, old woman, _Mariam thought; _you have wrinkles and grey hair and I don't so HA!_

Not yet, at least. The stress would get to her soon… she knew it.

The elderly lady gestured to the door (gold plating quoted 'Principal A. Sanjo) and Mariam hesitantly pushed it open. What was this fear that was suddenly installed into her?

Mariam first noticed the smell – it was old lady's perfume and what the landlord's mother constantly smelt like – she visited to check up on her son's tenants. She also had the tendency to give you a big bear hug whenever she saw you (and because she was a bit chubby, you became scared of being lost in the many rolls of fat).

That was probably what happened to the previous tenants – they were still in her bosom, being suffocated. Maybe she looked after them like pets. She shuddered; nasty!

The office was decorated plainly with simple mahogany furniture (one desk, one black leather chair and three wooden chairs). The carpet was a fading cranberry and the walls were painted a boring cream. The principal's many qualifications and awards filled up many of the walls – she was beginning to hate her already.

Stuck-up, over-qualified cow.

Said 'snobby, over-qualified cow' was sitting in the leather chair with her hands placed on the desk. She had glasses on top of her forehead and she wore hardly any make-up apart from some purple lipstick that somehow went with her lavender-grey hair that had obviously been permed recently to an adequate standard.

Her violet-painted lips were set in a scowl, emphasising her many wrinkles that signified her age (and wisdom?). Was all the staff in this school really, really old? One probably 'kicked the bucket' every week!

"Ms Shield," she nodded, greeting her then gestured to the two spare chairs. Mariam's green-haired young sibling was seated in the third chair, looking pretty aggravated and indignant. His arms were crossed and his mouth was frowning – bad sign. Joseph seemed even more depressed than the other day with his mood swing!

Well, at least he wasn't crying… yet.

"Principal Sanjo," Mariam greeted politely and extended her hand. At first she hesitated then shook her hand briefly. She was quick to withdraw her wrinkly hand.

Great – she thought the blue haired woman carried diseases like rabies and such.

_Well I hope I do, just so you can catch them, snob! _She thought silently and then imagined a chibi version of herself jumping up and down on her permed hair. An evil grin spread across her face but Mariam quickly hid it as she realised that she had been doing it physically. If this old woman had assumed Joseph's guardian was insane, she had just been proven right.

"Thank you for coming, Ms Shield."

"Please, call me Mariam," she smiled falsely – had to rectify a good impression, not an insane one. "And it's fine. I'd do anything for my little brother. So… may I know the reason of Joseph's… uh… _expulsion_?"

At this, Principal Sanjo pursed her plum lips then glared at Joseph. "Where do I start, Mr Shield? Why don't you explain to your sister why all the hard work she's done so you could get into this school has been put to waste."

He simply shrugged and looked out of the window. Obviously, Joseph was in a silent mood. She had thought he was over the teenage mood-swings! Well, he hadn't actually had any until. So maybe he was just a late mood-swinger. Damn puberty! It was hard enough going through her own and now she had to put up with Joseph's! She growled, cursing whoever invented puberty and mood-swings. God? Allah? Buddha? Jesus?

"This has gone on for a while now, Ms Shield… Mariam. First of all, he was falling asleep in class and then waking up, cursing violently. We sent notes home but it seems that they have been _thwarted _on the way." Another sharp glare to Joseph, "Then he became very upset and would shed tears hysterically for seemingly no reason. Next he became ill, sweating profusely and shivering. We sent him to the nurse but for some reason he just refused to go." She looked to Mariam with an even deeper scowl on her face.

Mariam was very puzzled – what could be going on with Joseph? This was more than simple teenage mood-swings. This was far, far more serious. This was concerning.

"And today, Miss Shield, we found Joseph holding a knife threateningly towards another student at the lockers." Mariam gasped as she looked to Joseph who was merely looking out the window, apparently not even bothered. Her brother? Never! He was so noble and kind-hearted. It couldn't be true! It was impossible! And yet, it was possible. It had happened. Joseph had threatened someone with a knife.

_Oh no, Joseph. What have you done? Why did you do this? _What if they pressed charges? They couldn't pay for a lawyer and Mariam couldn't live with her baby brother in prison!

"At Mr Shield's current unstable state, I dread to think what had happened if another student had not informed a teacher. Luckily for Joseph, the victim does not wish to press charges and it is not exactly good publicity that I do. So, instead of calling the police, I am expelling Joseph indefinitely from this day onwards. He will not be allowed to return at any point."

The blue haired woman stood up, "I am very apologetic for the student. Tell him that Joseph apologises, as does his sister. I honestly don't know where he got the knife…"

"Will you question Mr Shield on his varying behaviour, Ms Shield?" Ew, made it sound like they were married… EW! INCEST! INCEST! INCEST! She told her to call her _Mariam_!

"Oh yes," she nodded, "Definitely. Rest assured, Principal Sanjo, this will not happen again."

"For the safety of those around Mr Shield, I hope so."

Mariam pulled on the collar of Joseph's shirt, pulling him to stand up then angrily ushered him out of the Principal's office whilst thinking over which speech to deliver him. How would Joseph react? She didn't really want him going psycho on her. But if he did, she'd just get out Sharkrash and kick his scrawny, moody ass. Damn, why did _she _have to be the responsible one? Seven years ago, _Joseph _was the responsible one and Mariam had been the one constantly toeing the line rebelliously.

For the whole walk home, both siblings remained silent. When Joseph tended to lag behind, Mariam would pull on his hand angrily, speeding him up to match her brisk pace. If Kai saw her now…

She held onto Joseph's hand and pulled him at an even fast speed. They had to get home before Kai mysteriously appeared out of nowhere. He always had a knack of showing up at the worst possible moments. Stupid face-painted… man! Honestly, those blue triangles were _so _six years ago! He needed a new fashion statement. Then again, so many girls swooned at him, even if he put on a red clown nose, they'd still love him and you'd see some guys walking along the road with them on.

Mentally chuckling, Mariam decided that was actually a good idea.

Wait! No! Serious! Be serious! Joseph was in _big _trouble. Big, big trouble! He had nearly _killed _someone. Well, threatened to. Either way, Joseph could have been put in prison for that. How odd was it that the student didn't press charges? Maybe he was so relieved that he wasn't being killed that he didn't want to put up with the stress of making a statement.

After a tense fifteen minutes, they finally arrived at the block of flats. As they walked up the stairs, both were still quiet. It was only when Mariam shut the door to their apartment when the outburst began.

"JOSEPH!" she hollered indignantly, "How could you? You _threatened_ to _kill _someone! Where the hell did you get that knife from? What did that student do for you to attack him… or her?" She had never been told the gender of the student. She hadn't been told _any _details about the student. He could have been disabled!

"It's not my fault! He wouldn't give it to me!" Ok, so the student was a 'he'. "He said that he run out but I _know _that he had some! He always has some! He can't run out! I wanted it! I _needed _it! So I looked into his locker and he had loads! So I took it. All of it. He lied to me – I couldn't trust him. He was a liar, Mariam! He had to be punished! He kept it from me!"

"Kept what, Joseph? What did you take?" She was scared of his mental stability. Oh God, don't let him go to the kitchen area! This wasn't her little brother – this wasn't Joseph.

"You wouldn't understand! No one understands! You're too busy with your stupid job and sleeping with that Kai Hiwatari! You don't have any time for me! You're just a… whore!"

She slapped him. Her eyes widened as she looked at her hand that was still in mid-air. The force of the blow had tilted his head slightly and his cheek was already turning red. She had never hit Joseph before. Never. What was going on in this screwed-up world? Everything was so different… so strange… she wanted her old life back.

Joseph's eyes narrowed as he glared at his sister. At the same time, both of their emerald eyes glanced to the kitchen area – particularly the kitchen draw that contained the dining utensils – and then back to their sibling. Without missing a beat, Joseph and Mariam charged towards the drawer. They reached over the drawer and Mariam attempted to keep it closed whilst Joseph tried to open it. He backhanded his blue haired sister and the force made her topple to the floor, looking up to her brother. No, it wasn't her brother. This was a monster.

In his pale hand, he held the kitchen knife threateningly. A thin trickle of crimson blood passed down her temple and she had managed to bite her tongue but she was more concerned with her brother than her injury.

There was a heavy knock at the door but neither sibling moved to answer it. The person could wait for the moment.

"Joseph," she struggled to get through to her real little brother. "I'm not having a relationship with Kai. We hate each other. You're the only one that matters in my world. You're my baby brother."

"No!" he shouted, "All you care about is yourself!" She noticed the heavy sweat on his brow. In fact, he was trembling. Was it the stress of the situation or him feeling ill again? "We only moved to Tokyo because of you! I was happy back home!"

The person was calling their names and still the two of them ignored him or her.

"Joseph!" Mariam called. "Get a hold of yourself! Look at what you're doing! This isn't you!"

He stared at the knife in his hand and shakily dropped it. "Mariam…" he gasped, "I don't feel too good."

The green-haired teenager fell to the floor and became quaking violently. She touched him gently but was at a loss of what to do. "Joseph!" she called, "Stop playing, come on. Get up. Come on, bro."

At that moment, the door was ploughed through and a male stood in the hallway. Mariam looked up at him and burst into uncontrollable tears.

"Mariam! What's going on?"

* * *

**Authoress' Notes**

… Whoa.

_**Flowerperson**_


	7. Waiting at the Hospital

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Beyblade.  
**Title: **Waiting in the Wings**  
Chapter Title: **Waiting at the Hospital  
**Rating: **T  
**Categories: **Romance/Drama  
**Summary: **Mariam and Kai both want to be independent, not relying on someone else. Not relying on 'love'. When they meet, their opinions only grow stronger. But could there be love waiting in the fiery wings of Dranzer?  
**Feedback: **Reviews! YUM! Flames? Why would you bother?  
**Status: **Chapters. But only if you review!  
**Notes: **Hey, I told you it was dramatic. Some romance too! ((grin))

* * *

**WAITING IN THE WINGS**

_Kai/Mariam  
Mariam and Kai both want to be independent, not relying on someone else. Not relying on 'love'. When they meet, their opinions only grown stronger. But could there be love waiting in the fiery wings of Dranzer?_

**_Flowerperson  
_**© 2005

* * *

**Part VII**  
_Waiting at the Hospital

* * *

_

"Joseph!" Mariam began distraughtly whilst sobbing, "He's… not moving… He's ill…"

"Step back," the male – Kai Hiwatari – said, instantly shifting into emergency mode as he took off his fingerless glove and placed it in Joseph's mouth so he didn't bite his tongue off. He passed his cell phone to the blue haired sister. "Dial for an ambulance and give them your address, ok? Tell them he's having a fit." Mariam sat, dumbfound. This couldn't be happening…

_("I wanted it! I _needed_ it!")_

"MARIAM!" Kai ordered, "Do it _NOW_! Do you want him to die?"

Mariam shook her head and dialled the number with trembling fingers. "Hello?" her voice shook and was higher in pitch than it usually was. "C-can I have the a-ambulance p-please? My… my brother J-Joseph! He's shaking and he w-won't answer m-me… a f-fit, I think. My address?" For a moment, her mind went blank. She sat there, staring into space.

_("We only moved to Tokyo because of you! I was happy back home!")_

Kai Hiwatari paused and looked up, wondering why the emerald-eyed woman was so suddenly silent. The black cell phone was clutched in her slender hand so tightly that her knuckles were turning a deathly white. He promptly took the communicating device out of her pale hand and put it to his ear whilst holding his limbs (that were thrashing wildly) down.

"Is anyone there? Yes, I'm here with a teenage male. He seems to be suffering from a fit of some sorts. I think he has had an reaction to something. The address is…" Kai gave the address to the operator and waited as Mariam's brother Joseph went through the last stages of his violent fit. "Seven minutes? Can't you be quicker! He is dying, damnit!"

_("So I took it. All of it.")_

The operator merely told him to stay calm and he growled at her angrily. "To hell if I'll be calm! He's in trouble! Emergency service? Don't make me laugh!" _Bitch_, he cursed mentally as he hung up on the monotone-speaking woman.

"Kai?" Mariam crawled closer to him and Joseph. "You… didn't mean what you said, did you? Joseph's not… dying, is he? He's going to be fine, right? Tell me he's going to be okay, Kai! He _has _to be ok!"

He turned to her, "I don't know, Mariam. I'm not quite sure what's going to happen. Just stay calm." Ha! Hadn't that been what the operator had told him? Kai was such a hypocrite…

_("All you care about is yourself!")_

"It's my fault!" the distressed woman wailed as she caressed his forest green locks. He was still now – the trembling fit had passed – but his forehead was hot and sweaty. Dark bags could be seen under his closed eyes. Kai took his dark, fingerless glove out of Joseph's mouth but did not put it on. Although his mouth was dry, there was still some saliva on it. And they had been his favourite pair!

"Mariam," he lifted her chin and stared into her teary, jade green eyes. "It is not your fault. I'm sure Joseph will be fine." He scowled as he noted the crimson blood travelling down the side of her head. Her lip was also busted and blood trickled out the side of her mouth. The Russian instantly recognised the pinkish area on her cheek.

_("It's not my fault! He wouldn't give it to me!")_

"Joseph hit you, didn't he?" he narrowed his eyes at the teen, now unconscious. After all Mariam had done and sacrificed for this little brat but he had simply responded by striking her. The silence was his only answer. "What happened, Mariam?" he eyed the kitchen knife on the floor with disdain. Indeed, what _had _happened?

"He wasn't himself," she murmured as she looked away from him. He released her chin and tears continued to spill down her pale cheeks, mixing with the blood on her chin.

_("You wouldn't understand! No one understands!")_

They said nothing until the ambulance crew arrived. Three medics took Joseph out on a stretcher whilst another asked Mariam and Kai what had happened. Kai gestured to Mariam. "This is his sister. When I came in, he was fitting. I have no idea what happened before." When the emergency member of staff asked Mariam, she had looked up at him (her sea green eyes full of tears) but remained silent, biting her lower lip.

"Maybe you should ask her later," the Russian suggested.

_("I don't feel too good.")_

The medic shrugged and got onto the ambulance. Joseph was already in it, another doctor putting an oxygen mask on him and checking his heart rate and other vital scans. His heart was apparently pumping furiously; something was making his vital organs work into over-drive and his liver had collapsed. Some conclusions came to their minds, but they said nothing – fearful of the sister's reaction.

She went to get into the vehicle even though it didn't look like with the two medics in the back, Joseph and all the machines would leave enough space for her. Also noticing this, one of the emergency personnel staff told her that she wouldn't be able to accompany them. Maybe she should go to the hospital in some other mode of transport. He was sure that her brother would be fine.

Liar.

_("He lied to me – I couldn't trust him. He was a liar, Mariam! He had to be punished! He kept it from me!")_

Mariam shuddered as she remembered that… different **(crazy) **look in the green-haired boy's eyes. That had not been her brother, and if he was not harm physically, what about mentally? Psychologically? Having never seen her brother act like that before, she truly had been frightened and confused. What was going on!

Whilst pondering on her brother's issues, she vaguely heard Kai tell the doctor that he would drive Miss Mariam to the hospital ("It is the nearest one, right?"). She watched as the white ambulance disappeared down the road with a distant look on her face. She couldn't believe this. This was all just a horrid nightmare that she was going to wake up from!

He placed a consoling hand on her tense shoulder, unsure on how to comfort the ex-Saint-Shield.

_("You're too busy with your stupid job and sleeping with that Kai Hiwatari!")_

Angrily, Mariam slapped his hand away (hard, Kai would add). "Don't touch me," she hissed venomously as her eyes narrowed to green slits. Her hands were clenched tightly and by her sides rigidly. She glared at Kai with an intense strength that even made him blink a few times. Why was she turning on him? What had he done?

"Huh? What's your problem?" he returned her glare with his own. Stupid woman, just taking it all out on him! It wasn't _his _fault! If it wasn't for him, Mariam would still be weeping over Joseph's body.

Kai took another pace towards her so they were only inches apart.

_("You're just a… whore!")_

She stepped back and spun around, folding her lean arms (very deceiving since the muscles were very strong because of her beyblade training). "Just take me to the hospital," Mariam ordered stoically with hardly any emotion. People were watching now. Did she care? Nuh-uh. _The only thing that matters to me is Joseph._

"With that attitude, I'll have to withdraw my generous offer," he sniffed indignantly. The nerve of that Mariam! Why was she such a… woman! The ex-Blitzkrieg Boy matched her pose: also crossing his arms across his broad chest, but also glared at the back of her head; Kai desired to strangle that confusing female's slender neck with an intense passion. The soft, milky pale skin under his hand… He imagined that her creamy flesh would indeed be smooth against his calloused and rough (due his many years of beyblading as a teenager, his hands were covered with many scars and – when he trained constantly – blisters) fingers…

What? What the hell was that? He did not just… Kai was just getting caught up in the moment. He _didn't _think or even consider thinking about how silky her skin was and how bright her jade green eyes were… _Spending too much time around her, _he reprimanded himself. _Must hang out with unattractive females. Hilary sounds good… or maybe Mariah. Ah! Ming-Ming will work!_

_(You don't have any time for me!)_

Mariam stared at the floor, defeated as the fury left her. Was it true what Joseph had said? Was she really a bad sister? Did she not have any time for her brother? Did she spend too much time with Kai? Did she banter with him more than she talked with Joseph? Was she ignoring him? Was she so selfish that she didn't have any time for Joseph?

She had tried to be such a good sister after he had told her that he felt like she had been ignoring him whilst they were battling against the Blade-Breakers and she had been insulting Dunga. She had tried to care for her brother's every need. Get a flat where he could have his own bedroom. Get him in a good school. Make sure he never goes hungry.

And yet she had failed.

_("Mariam…")_

"I'm a terrible sister," she muttered to herself. Kai scowled as he heard her self-loathing words. Taking a hold of both her shoulders, he shook her whilst gazing into her eyes.

Except her eyes held nothing – simply nothing. The emotions had gone. No sadness, no fury, no laughter…

"He hates me," Mariam murmured before slipping into unconsciousness (maybe due to stress and her concussion), falling forward into Kai's strong chest. He caught the blue-haired woman and held her close (for some unknown reason) but growled at all the bystanders watching their interaction, ruining the romantic pose he was in.

"Get away, idiots. There's nothing to see." Slinging Mariam over his shoulder (so ungraciously that if she were cognisant, she would have most likely protested against her position – fortunately for Kai's poor foot, she wasn't), Kai began his short trek back to Hiwatari Mansion where he would drive to the hospital that Joseph had been taken to.

_Stupid Saint-Shields…

* * *

_

At the hospital, another doctor had insisted on stitching up Mariam's wound to her head and had applied some ointment to her sore lips. Mariam had woken up as Kai walked into the hospital, being held in his arms bridal-style. It was _very _embarrassing and she had completely blamed Kai for the red tinge to her cheeks, threatening to stomp on his feet if he came anywhere near her.

Obeying the woman's commands and very mindful of the threat, Kai had stayed in the waiting room, idly reading through an old newspaper whilst women stared at him, wondering if that _was _the infamous Kai Hiwatari. And what had he been doing holding that pretty woman like that? A knight of shining armour, he had heard them whisper, that was what he had looked like.

_Oh yes and Mariam is definitely a stereotypical 'Damsel in Distress'_, he remarked sarcastically in his cynical thoughts. The women were now giggling, and edging closer. Kai was seriously considering breaking Mariam's rule or at least getting the hell out of here. Why didn't people get it? He didn't want to be stalked.

He knew he was great, but couldn't people contain themselves? Yes, he was the best but that didn't mean that you could assume that he'd love your company.

Kai Hiwatari _was_ the most wonderful thing that happened to Earth; however, he was also a jerk.

Nearly jumping for joy, the beyblader was actually _happy _to see Mariam walk into the waiting room. He strode up to her but she merely sniffed (sticking her nose in the air) and walked past him like he wasn't even there. She asked the receptionist if she knew where Joseph Shield was and the woman answered after asking how she was related to the patient.

'_Intensive Care Ward'_, Kai overheard. It didn't sound good.

Mariam was as still as a statue as she stood by the curtain that revealed Joseph's bed and her brother lying on it. Various tubes were entering his body, pumping in medical drugs and blood. His face was paler and he looked…

Weak. It was definitely not good. Mariam choked back a sob as she looked at her baby brother: the most important thing to her in the world. He had gone through so many metamorphoses that it was hard to identify Joseph. First, he had been her brother as she remembered him: carefree, loving and playful. Then he had become depressed; he was unconfident and self-loathing. Next the jade-eyed teen had turned angry – like a vengeful spirit had possessed him and taken a hold of him, influencing his movements and actions.

And now… now he had been reduced to this lifeless shell. The only solace she had that her sibling was indeed alive was the steady beeping of the heart rate monitor. His pulse… his heart… his life… Beep. Beep. The noise was so annoying and yet she yearned to hear another one, and another one, and another one, and another one…

Beep. Beep.

Kai was behind her, she knew. She didn't tell him to 'get lost'. Right now, she didn't give a damn about him. Her brother… her dear, brother… She had been so selfish! How could she have left him to become this! Joseph was right – she did only think about herself.

"I wish it was me there, not my brother," Mariam whispered, more to Joseph than herself or Kai. A hand on her shoulder – however, this time she didn't shake or slap it off. She needed some comfort, since her strength was being taken by the sight of the teenager laying there. Joseph had always had so much life in him… how had he become this?

"Don't say that," Kai scolded, "How selfish can you be?"

"What?" Mariam questioned. How was wishing she was weak, and Joseph was healthy selfish? Kai's comment puzzled her. Maybe he was just being his riddling, arrogant self.

"How do you think Joseph would have coped if it was you? If you had hit him—" _I did hit him first, _her mind reminded her painfully, "—if you're suffering now, imagine how depressed he would be now. How would he be able to manage without his older sister? He couldn't! He's not as strong as you, Mariam. He needs your support. Wishing you were in his position is just selfish. You wouldn't love him if you did."

But Joseph didn't deserve to be a shell!

"Bah!" she scoffed, "What do you know about love? You're just a cold-hearted jerk being all moody and irritating anyone that comes near you! You don't care about anyone!"

He walked forwards – only an inch between them – and gazed deep into her emerald eyes with his mahogany ones. Kai was so close that she could feel his warm breath fanning her face. The red tinge returned to her cheeks, and her forest green eyes were half-lidded as he leaned closer.

A sudden thought ran through her mind.

_He's going to kiss me!

* * *

_

**Authoress' Notes**

((Whistles a tune innocently)) I didn't do _anything_! ((hides from rocks being thrown)) Don't kill me!

_**Flowerperson**_


	8. Waiting for Release

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Beyblade.  
**Title: **Waiting in the Wings**  
Chapter Title: **Waiting for Release  
**Rating: **T  
**Categories: **Romance/Drama  
**Summary: **Mariam and Kai both want to be independent, not relying on someone else. Not relying on 'love'. When they meet, their opinions only grow stronger. But could there be love waiting in the fiery wings of Dranzer?  
**Feedback: **Reviews! YUM! Flames? Why would you bother?  
**Status: **Slow updates due to my illness.  
**Notes: **Leave me alone. I've been ill and managed to get my lazy arse to school, only to be sent back again. Thus, I have retired to my laptop and am trying to get my aching head to work. This nearly killed me, I tell you. My nose is running, my throat is dry, my skin is sweaty and my face is red. Thus, I don't feel great.

But why do you care, huh? You only care about my stories! Excuse me while I go quietly die in the corner! Sorry for wasting your time but hey! You probably skip my notes and go straight to the story! (I know that's what I do)

WHAT! TRAITOROUS FINGERS!

Yes, my illness has invoked my insanity. Leave me be ((sleeps)).

* * *

**WAITING IN THE WINGS**

_Kai/Mariam  
Mariam and Kai both want to be independent, not relying on someone else. Not relying on 'love'. When they meet, their opinions only grown stronger. But could there be love waiting in the fiery wings of Dranzer?_

**_Flowerperson  
_**© 2005

* * *

**Part VIII**  
_Waiting for Release

* * *

_

"_Bah!" she scoffed, "What do you know about love? You're just a cold-hearted jerk being all moody and irritating anyone that comes near you! You don't care about anyone!"_

_He walked forwards – only an inch between them – and gazed deep into her emerald eyes with his mahogany ones. Kai was so close that she could feel his warm breath fanning her face. The red tinge returned to her cheeks, and her forest green eyes were half-lidded as he leaned closer._

_A sudden thought ran through her mind._

He's going to kiss me!

* * *

And as Mariam waited for his lips to descend on hers, she felt his cold hand hold onto her warm fingers. As they said, 'cold hands – warm heart'. Could Kai Hiwatari really be this romantic? Was she letting him? Was Mariam falling for this once heartless Russian? After all she had gone through with Ozuma, was she falling into another trap? Did she really want another relationship? Not only that, but a relationship with Kai?

_Yes, oh yes… _her mind whispered to her as he grew even closer. In less than a second from now, she would feel his soft (or would they be rough?) lips on her own. Would he be a good kisser? Would he sweep her off her feet and carry her into the sunset?

She was about to release a quiet sigh, but a yelp escaped instead when she felt her hand being pulled as Kai took a step back and continued to walk away, his hand still holding hers.

Speechless, she wondered what on Earth was going on! Suddenly very angry (at him and herself), she voiced her confusion. "Kai! What are you doing? Where are you taking me? Joseph…" Now she was even more furious with her strange behaviour. She had been so caught up in what she had thought had been romance, she had completely forgotten about her brother's predicament… and his words to her.

_Is Joseph right? Could I possibly have feelings for Kai? _

"Kai! I mean it! Where are you taking me? I demand to know!" Now they were going down the stairs and as they reached a landing between the first and second floor, Mariam pulled her wrist out of his grip indignantly.

He turned to her and glowered, his brown-red eyes – did they also seem a bit purple? – becoming narrow slits. She suddenly felt afraid of his expression, and took a hesitant step back (although it wasn't as frightening as her brother's fury). "You said I didn't care about anyone but I am going to prove you wrong."

So that was why he was getting so rattled up! But why would Kai even care about what Mariam had said? He should have grunted and walked away – _that _would have been in-character. But no, he had stepped closer to her, like he had been going to…

_Kiss me_, her mind answered. Why had she just stood there? Why had she welcomed the contact? Thank goodness it hadn't happened, for clearly Mariam was without common sense. Her brother was in '_intensive care_' for crying out loud! When had she become so selfish and disrespectful of her own brother! When had she become such a mess?

And why did these questions torment her so? When she had been young (a mere child), she had been so cocky and full of herself, always believing that _she _was right and never in the wrong. She was never doubtful of her instincts and actions – she had never doubted the love she shared for her smaller (smarter) brother.

Kai said she was wrong. The younger Mariam would have retaliated with a fiery temper – this one merely mumbled two words that even she could not hear. At least she said something. Something must be better than nothing, right?

She was nothing.

One day, she would become something.

"_One day, you shall have to grow up. And not for your brother's sake, but for your own. You try to be an adult but you are nothing more than a child, Mariamu; a foolish child." _**(1)**

That had been what an old, greying female Elder had told her. She had used her full name; the name that Mariam despised for it was the name used when someone was ridiculing her. She had always abhorred the 'u' that stuck on the end – an extra syllable that taunted the very essence of her name. It was meant to stop sharply, and yet the 'oo' at the end seemed to drag it on for an eternity.

Foolish Mariamu.

Childish Mariamu.

Irresponsible Mariamu.

She had grown up.

She had matured.

She was responsible.

Then was she suddenly wishing for the days when she could simply pick up her beyblade and forget life? Why was she wishing no more than to have the silly fears of a child, than the terrors of real-life that she had to face as an adult?

Dammit! She didn't want to be responsible – she didn't want to be Joseph's support. She was selfish; she wanted Joseph to hold _her _in her time of need and it seemed that she in turn had pushed him over the edge. Could she save him now when she was not even able to rescue herself? Could she be strong for him when she was but a weakling?

When the outlook looked grim, Joseph had always pushed her on. He had always been optimistic, seeing the silver lining in the clouds of disdain and misery. And now that the green-haired boy had fallen and crumbled despite his almighty spirit, how could Mariam go on? How could she survive when even the toughest had been overwhelmed?

How could she be brave when she desired nothing else than to huddle in the corner?

She couldn't be the hero if her heart was not courageous, not strong, not noble, and not _responsible_. Her mind was full of self-centred, immature, pitiful and cowardly thoughts. Her body was even weaker – easily broken, easily overcome.

Easily tortured by its very owner.

Joseph's feeble appearance had invoked one very strong emotion, one that had been unrecognisable until now. One that had been _pushed away _until now. She… wanted to give up.

Mariam would rather die than see her brother so pained, so weak.

_So helpless._

His sister would have given up a thousand lives, as long as Joseph was revived and healed. She would have done it herself as long as she could erase the image of his impassive face… or even his eyes full of tears… the worst had been his furious expression as he held the knife above her… as he towered over her in a manner that had made her…

_Helpless._

_Utterly, utterly helpless._

But how would taking her pitiful life change anything? How would destroying all he had left benefit the younger, former Saint-Shield? Mariam – after all – was Joseph's only family member. She had been his guardian for a long time (albeit a not very good one; who had been guarding who?). Indeed, it seemed that instead, the green-haired sibling looked after his older sister.

_Joseph. You are not here. I can't get your angry face out of my mind. Every time I blink I see those _(mocking) _tubes enter you, pumping _(stealing) _blood and slowly _(killing) _healing you._

_I wish nothing more than to see your smile._

_And yet, I am left with your tired eyes._

_Your emotionless eyes._

_Your teary eyes._

_Your enraged eyes._

_They shine crimson, though your irises are an emerald green._

_I wish to see your smile, Joseph._

_Please, may you smile for me?_

She had not even noticed Kai was calling her name until he shook her roughly, stealing her away from her reverie regarding her younger brother. Her injured brother. Her helpless brother.

All she wanted was a release.

"Mariam!" he shook her once more, noting the emptiness of her forest green eyes. She was deep in thought; not listening to a word that the slate-haired Russian had to say. Well he'd been damned if he was going to let her ignore him. He didn't talk much, and he'd kick anyone's ass if they didn't listen. He did not waste breath. He only talked when it was necessary.

And it was _necessary _that she listened!

She had insisted that he was heartless. She had commented on his cold personality in a poisonous manner. She had claimed that he cared for no-one (and was not cared for by anyone?).

He had stated that she was incorrect, and in retaliation (if you could call it that), she had murmured something under her breath. Kai was not able to hear her delicate whisper, but he was _sure _that she had said something. And since it had been under her breath, it probably wasn't very friendly. The ex-Blade-Breaker (how shameful to have Tyson as a captain!) was determined what she had used as a pathetic insult.

So pathetic, she couldn't even say it to his face.

Her eyes held some life, but still did not focus on Kai. He shook her harder – probably damaging brain-cells as he did this and would not help her dumb-expression but he required answers. Kai _had _to hear what she had said.

"Mariam!" he repeated, calling her name once more. Why did she not respond? Had that mutter been all she had left? Had that whisper been all she could answer with? This was not the spitfire he had encountered a few days ago.

Look how so much had changed in a short matter of time.

"What did you say? Tell me, Mariam!"

Mariam's eyes focused now on his face now, recognising the blue triangles, deep mahogany eyes and slate-coloured hair thus recognising Kai's identity. She opened her mouth and closed it before opening it once more. Her voice was slightly louder, though still a whisper. The male beyblader had to strain his ears to hear the words that escaped from her pale lips. "You're right…"

"_You're right…"? That was what she had said? No hasty defence? No feisty comeback? She… she said I was right?_

"I am always wrong," she continued, insulting herself with a venomous amount of self-loathing. "I am so immature. I am so pitiful. I am so cowardly. I am so _selfish_. Joseph is cursed with me as his sister. I am blessed with him as a brother, and yet I have tainted even him with my cowardice, weakness, immaturity and selfishness." Her eyes began to water; tears threaten to spill from their deaths as Mariam mourned over how she had contaminated her brother's optimism.

Kai grunted and crossed his arms, "Please, Mariam. Spare me your self-pitying speech. You are a good sister, okay? Is that what you wish to hear? You are far kinder to your family than I. You are far more devoted to your loved ones than I."

"What do you mean, Kai?" she questioned, her moist jade green irises observing him in curiosity then drying as she angrily wiped away the few tears she had left. "Who is this person that you care about? Who is this loved one of yours?" Had the emotionless Russian really changed? Had someone melted his heart of ice?

He took her hand (much softer than before) and dragged her into the lobby. People stared at her red, puffy eyes but Kai ignored their looks and took her straight to the pay-phones. They were black and shiny and stated in Japanese the instructions for using it, as well as the forms of payment it accepted. Kai put in the amount of yen that it required and dialled a number.

When the person answered, he asked for 'Gou' and then shoved the phone into Mariam's hands. She shakily put it to her ear, wondering who exactly this 'Gou' was.

"**Hello?" **The voice was high-pitched and timid yet full of friendliness – a child (a boy). She was speechless at first, unsure of what to say. There was a young boy on the telephone, whom Kai cared deeply for.

"Ask him who Kai Hiwatari is," the mahogany-eyed man instructed, his narrow eyes glaring deep into her soul. Her eyes felt sore, and yet she was too distracted to cry. She nodded shyly before stammering into the phone what Kai had asked her to do. If she was stronger _(like Joseph)_, she would never have been ordered around like this.

"Who i-is Kai H-Hiwatari to you?"

There was a chuckle down the line – like a childish giggle – before it erupted into all-out laughter. Kai himself smirked as he waited for Mariam to hear the news. As he waited to _prove _her _wrong_.

"**Silly lady. He's my daddy!" (2)**

The ebony receiver fell from Mariam's hands and dangled on its grey, plastic cord that was spiralled. Kai picked up the phone, told Gou he would phone later (and explain) before putting it back in its appropriate slot, effectively hanging up. His change dropped to the flap, but he made no move to collect the money. After all, he did possess a fortune and did not intend on wasting it lavishly.

Instead he walked away, leaving Mariam to her shock.

So shocked that even mentally, she was speechless.

* * *

**Authoress' Notes**

Bwa ha! And now ye know of Gou's connection with Kai! Yes, Mariam does sound suicidal and _yes_, it is deliberate.

**(1) **– I have no idea on the details of the Saint-Shield's village Elders. However, the name _Mariamu _was noted on a website I went on and claimed it was the 'Romanized' version. I used it… simply because.

**(2) **– Yes, Gou _is _in fact Kai's son. The identity of his mother has never been revealed and I suppose I'll have to deal with that later, _if _I decide to deal with it. Now you all see the importance of Gou! It shows that Kai has changed (slightly) and is capable of feeling love (or caring) for someone. Now that he's developed love from father to son, let us see about the romance ((insert evil laugh)).

Well done to those who recognised Gou's identity! ((hands out Gou plushies))

_**Flowerperson**_

(Aha! I bet you thought Mariam and Kai were going to kiss! Nope! No kisses yet! Ha! I feel awful, therefore you must suffer too! ((coughs to death)))


	9. Waiting for Answers

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Beyblade.  
**Title: **Waiting in the Wings**  
Chapter Title: **Waiting for Answers  
**Rating: **T  
**Categories: **Romance/Drama  
**Summary: **Mariam and Kai both want to be independent, not relying on someone else. Not relying on 'love'. When they meet, their opinions only grow stronger. But could there be love waiting in the fiery wings of Dranzer?  
**Feedback: **Reviews! YUM! Flames? Why would you bother?  
**Status: **Slow updates due to my lack of interest for Beyblade (I'm obsessed with InuYasha and Fullmetal Alchemist now )  
**Notes: **Right ((deep breath)), I admit it. The last chapter was crap. Looking back now, I hate it. But if I go back, I'll probably just mess it up again. Let's just forget the tragedy that was last chapter, okay? ((sweatdrop)) Apart from the important bits—like Gou and the fact that they _didn't _kiss (not yet, anyway).

* * *

**WAITING IN THE WINGS**

_Kai/Mariam  
Mariam and Kai both want to be independent, not relying on someone else. Not relying on 'love'. When they meet, their opinions only grown stronger. But could there be love waiting in the fiery wings of Dranzer?_

**_Flowerperson  
_**© 2005

* * *

**Part IX**  
_Waiting for Answers

* * *

_

_The ebony receiver fell from Mariam's hands and dangled on its grey, plastic cord that was spiralled. Kai picked up the phone, told Gou he would phone later (and explain) before putting it back in its appropriate slot, effectively hanging up. His change dropped to the flap, but he made no move to collect the money. After all, he did possess a fortune and did not intend on wasting it lavishly._

_Instead he walked away, leaving Mariam to her shock._

_So shocked that even mentally, she was speechless.

* * *

_

After asking the doctor if there had been any changes since she was absent, Mariam sat by Joseph's beside, his hand clasped between both of hers. His skin was cold; she hoped that her own body heat would warm him up.

"Joseph," she sighed as she hung her head in shame. "Please... I want—" she inhaled sharply, "I _need _you to wake up. Can't you hear me?" Mariam squeezed his hand, hoping to receive a response— an _answer— _but there was nothing.

"Apparently, when you are in a coma, you hear all that is going on around you." She turned sharply towards the door, where Kai was leaning against its frame. A smug expression was firmly planted on his face (the Russian was probably still relishing his victory— _proving her wrong_).

Mariam ignored him and looked back to her brother, still unconscious. Understanding the hint but not taking it, Kai remained in the room and continued to stare at the two siblings.

"Go away, Kai," Mariam finally voiced. He said nothing, and that irked her even more than trying to start an argument. What did he want? Why did he insist on stalking her? Why couldn't he just go back to being the Kai she knew— the one that wanted nothing to do with other's businesses? The one that didn't _care_.

Perhaps that was why he remained here. Kai wanted an apology.

"Fine," she hissed, not bothering to look at him, "I was wrong; you do care about someone. I'm... sorry." That was strange— the only person Mariam had ever apologised to without being sarcastic was Joseph and here she was... saying 'sorry' to Kai without a mocking tone. "Now," Mariam stood up (still clutching Joseph's hand with one of her own), "Will you pleasego away?"

Kai scowled, crossing his arms (as if gesturing that he was 'staying put'), "I didn't come here for an apology."

"Oh, whatever!" she waved her free hand dismissively, "I haven't got time to put up with your mind games. Why else would you come here? To gloat? To see me in pain? To see Joseph as a weak shell?" She scoffed, returning to her sitting position in the chair with her back to him.

She didn't want him to see her emerald eyes water.

"It's good that you're staying with him," Kai continued to talk, even though he knew that she probably wouldn't listen. He decided to test her; find out if she really was paying attention to him. "After all, he did almost kill you."

He witnessed her hand clutch onto Joseph's tightly. If he were conscious, he would probably protest.

"Have you even paid attention to your wounds? Ah yes, the doctor forced you to sit still whilst he re-stitched your cuts, didn't he? Have you even acknowledged them?" Silence. "Probably not. You're too focused on the one that did it to you."

Her other hand fisted by her side and she began to tremble ever so slightly. It was still not the reaction Kai desired. No, she was still trying to ignore him— the fool. She couldn't turn a blind eye to the truth any more.

"I wonder what made him turn to the drugs." Mariam tensed. The doctor had said that this reaction had almost definitely been because of some drug abuse. They were still identifying which substance had been used. "Sure, he was probably going through the teenage 'nobody-understands-me' phase. But I wonder _why _he decided to keep doing it, knowing that there was a possibility it could come to this. He obviously knew how much pain you would go through— why else would he keep it a secret? He knew that he was going to hurt you. He knew that there he might just kill y—"

"What do you want, Kai!" she had pushed the chair away from her and was now standing right in front of him, glaring into his mahogany eyes with her forest green ones. "Why do you keep on insulting me? How is it that you always manage to make me feel worse when I think that I've sunk to the lowest of the low?"

"Ma—"

"No!" she pushed his shoulders angrily, forcing him out into the corridor. People came out of neighbouring rooms to gawk but frankly— she wasn't even bothered. "I'm fed up of hearing you talk! I'm fed up of _you_!" she poked at his chest, "Just leave me Joseph and I alone! We don't need you! _I don't need YOU!_"

Acting on an instinct, Mariam's hand moved to slap him. Before it reached its desired location, however, Kai's own fingers had already wrapped around the wrist. He pulled her closer and held her other arm just above the elbow— effectively stopping her from attacking again.

"You really are that dumb, aren't you, Mariam?" Kai questioned, his brown eyes alight with the fire burning at him— the rage mirroring Mariam's. "You're such a... simpleton!" (For lack of a better word without cursing. He too had noticed the crowd slowly gathering.) "I'm trying to help you! I'm _trying _to make you see that you should stop blaming yourself!" He pointed towards the room where Joseph was still out cold, "Joseph's in there because he took a wrong path."

"I—"

"You should have been the one to show him the way, right?" Kai interjected then scoffed as he looked to the ceiling. "You're not always going to be behind him to show him the way. You're not always going to be urging him on." He looked back to her and saw that her eyes were already brimming with tears. "The whole point of being a teenager is to make your own mistakes! You can't keep on coddling him! What do you think that will accomplish? What will happen when you're not here to protect him?"

Mariam's eyes closed tightly she willed herself not to look at him. She wouldn't. She couldn't. Because deep down— deep, _deep _down— she knew that he was right. After all, Kai was always right.

And Mariam was always wrong.

When Kai noticed her eyes shut, his grip tightened. He seriously debated on shaking her— seeing if some sense would enter her brain. The Russian really did hate it when others were overcome with angst.

As her tears finally leaked out and slipped down her cheeks, Kai pushed away in disgust and dug his hands in his pant pockets. "I thought you were better than that, Mariam." He turned and glared at the people standing in his way. They hastily moved out of the way. _I thought you were..._

Different.

* * *

Kai's eyes travelled across the landscape in front of him. The top of the old BBA building (it was now owned by a sporting company that specialised in soccer) was a great place to come and think. He had done so since he was teenager and it seemed that the trend wasn't going to end anytime soon. 

Strange— he spent a lot of his time thinking now. Nevertheless, he let his mind wander and evaluate the day so far.

The green hills in the park were nothing compared to her eyes.

He didn't know why it bothered him so much. He didn't understand why lately, his thoughts had been focused on her. These thoughts were slowly becoming familiar— an obsession. Kai had had an obsession before but he knew the precise reasons. He simply wanted to beat Tyson and until then, his thirst for victory would never be satiated.

And yet, when it came to Mariam... he wasn't quite sure what it was about her (or what she had done) to make him ponder on her so much. Also, he had never compared Tyson's appearance with a breath-taking landscape.

He had never cared when Tyson was in pain but instead (being the slight malevolent youth that he was) had revelled in his rival's angst. And now, when he saw Mariam suffering, it made him... Sad? Angry? Disgusted?

Was he upset that Mariam was emotionally hurting? Did he feel sorry for her?

Kai grunted and turned upwards towards the sky. This beyblade did not feel pity— especially for a former rival (although he had never faced her before a few weeks ago). The sun was setting now, turning the sky into a blend of oranges and reds. It reminded him of the Saint-Shield's uniform...

"Bah!" he scoffed as he looked away, glaring at the concrete floor beneath him. What could possibly be wrong with the stoic Russian? Maybe he had caught a disease— some sort of infection from Tyson and his unhygienic lifestyle. The blue-haired male probably did live in a sty; he sure acted like he did (although Hilary would hardly allow such mess).

"_I don't need YOU!"_

He wasn't even sure why those words had stung so terribly. Since when had words ever affected him in such a way? True, the nightmares and visions Brooklyn produced still had after-shocks on his lifestyle but the pain had been purely psychological (and slightly physical).

Mariam's words seemed to stab at his heart.

Kai's hand settled over his chest (slightly to the left), feeling for a heartbeat. Many thought of him as a cold man that did not possess the organ. By the beats he felt against his fingers, he had proved them wrong.

Just as he had done to Mariam. She claimed that he didn't care for anyone and he had corrected her. He cared for Gou— his son. Despite this, the kid probably _was _the only 'person' (he supposed Dranzer did not count) that Kai felt for. Gou's mother? The Russian refused to think of her.

A misconception of feelings. Wrong place, wrong time. A mistake. But Gou had been so perfect when he was born; it was blasphemous to think of him in such a way. And still, this nagging _feeling _poked at him, trying to get his attention. These strange sentiments he felt for Mariam— did he care for her?

With a sharp turn, Kai walked back into the main building. "Hn," he muttered, "As if."

* * *

Mariam stood there, completely dumbfound. Gradually, the crowd disappated, revealing Joseph's doctor. He adjusted his thick glasses, sighed and walked over to his patient's sister. Glancing at his clipboard one more time, he finally spoke. "Ms. Shield, we've discovered the cause of your brother's collapse." 

Her eyes— previously unfocused— sharpened as she looked to the doctor. "And?"

He scratched his forehead nervously. "It was just as we expected... Mr Joseph Shield took a worrying amount of a drug commonly known as ecstasy, a very dangerous drug that has taken the lives of many people: teenagers and adults. I'm very sorry to say this, Ms. Shield. Your brother..."

"Yes?" the blue haired woman's breathing stopped, awaiting the answer.

"He's brain-damaged."** (1)

* * *

**

**Authoress' Notes**

**(1) **— Yep, brain-damage is one of the affects of taking ecstasy. I researched a whole load of symptoms but whilst writing Part VI, I lost it all. Up until then, all the behaviour could be linked to drug abuse. I was going to do some really fancy after-effect but since I lost the research (and cannot find the website I used), I was stuck with 'brain-damage' (the only one I could remember).

I don't think this was my best chapter (I dislike the ending although I had a lot of fun writing the scenes before it) but other than that, I guess it's _OK_.

Then again, _OK _is never enough, huh? Oh well...

_**Flowerperson**_


	10. Waiting AAH!

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Beyblade.  
**Title: **Waiting in the Wings**  
Chapter Title: **Waiting...AAH!  
**Rating: **T  
**Categories: **Romance/Drama  
**Summary: **Mariam and Kai both want to be independent, not relying on someone else. Not relying on 'love'. When they meet, their opinions only grow stronger. But could there be love waiting in the fiery wings of Dranzer?  
**Feedback: **Reviews spur me on. I thought that you would have figured this out by now.  
**Status: **Slow updates due to exams and lack of interest in Beyblade.  
**Notes: **All readers should thank **SOMEONE2003**, since he/she kinda reminded me about this fic. I've just been a bit occupied with revision, tests, medical issues and my violin ((glares at it on the other side of the room)). Not to mention Avatar: The Last Airbender! ((fangirl shriek))

Kai is OOC. My excuse? Uh... hmmm... six years have passed, so he could have changed... kinda. _And _he has feelings for Mariam! ((grin))

Hey, I've done worse to the poor guy.

* * *

**WAITING IN THE WINGS**

_Kai/Mariam  
Mariam and Kai both want to be independent, not relying on someone else. Not relying on 'love'. When they meet, their opinions only grown stronger. But could there be love waiting in the fiery wings of Dranzer?_

**_Flowerperson  
_**© 2006

* * *

**Part X**  
_Waiting... AAH!_

_He scratched his forehead nervously. "It was just as we expected... Mr Joseph Shield took a worrying amount of a drug commonly known as ecstasy, a very dangerous drug that has taken the lives of many people: teenagers and adults. I'm very sorry to say this, Ms. Shield. Your brother..."_

"_Yes?" the blue haired woman's breathing stopped, awaiting the answer._

"_He's brain-damaged."

* * *

_

Time seemed to pass in a blur. Hours were like seconds, days were like hours... it went past Mariam so fast (she wouldn't complain, the loneliness was unnerving). She had numerous consultations with so many different doctors that she could hardly remember anything that they had said. Every time she closed her eyes, she saw her brother's motionless body—pale as death, weak as a newborn kitten.

Joseph had woken up just that day, early in the morning. At first, she had jumped up in joy, her heart beating wildly as she threw her arms around her younger sibling. Tears of happiness and relief had leaked out the corner of her eyes, but her heart broke when she heard the first thing he had to say.

"_Who are you?"_

The doctors had explained that in Joseph's case, his brain damage had not necessarily affected his intelligence. Instead, he was cursed with amnesia. He had no idea who Mariam was, who he himself was... he didn't know anything about the Saint-Shields, their village or any of the friends they had left behind. Fortunately, he had kept his personality before his drug addiction.

That was a small comfort.

But she would prefer Joseph to have his memories back.

(Then she remembered all the bad things— all her _mistakes— _that had happened and wondered if it was that bad after all.)

She had remained cheerful (or as happy she could be) around him for as long as she was in that room. However, when he fell asleep, she left the room and reached the end of the corridor before bursting into tears, falling onto her knees.

Her heart hurt, her soul hurt, her brain hurt, her body hurt... everything just _hurt_. Mariam cried out Joseph's name, hitting the light blue floor with her fists. A nurse laid a comforting hand on her shoulder, urging her to get out of the corridor.

"Please, miss. You're making a scene."

Tough luck! She'd make a scene if she wanted to make a scene! Mariam could do whatever she wanted and what she wanted was someone to comforther. But not that stupid nurse. She wanted...

_Kai..._

Her sobs ceased; her eyes were wide as she was instantly mortified over her thoughts. She wanted _Kai _to comfort her? Like that would ever happen! He would never ever even think of comforting her when she was upset, when she was in _pain_.

_So what has he been doing for the past month?_

He hadn't been back since she had found out the news of Joseph's condition— and he wasn't even there to hear it. Besides, hadn't he pushed her away when she started to cry? Kai had looked upon her with disgust before making his grand exit. That stupid man thought he could just show up, be the knight in shining armour and escape before the 'damsel-in-distress' started her break down.

She didn't need him.

_Oh yes you do._

Didn't! Didn't! Didn't!

Trying to keep what little dignity she had left, Mariam stood up shakily and took a deep breath. She turned to the nurse with a broad (fake) smile— she probably scared her, "I think I'm going to go home now. These clothes are getting a bit dirty. I'll be back tomorrow morning. Make sure Joseph knows, okay?" The nurse nodded mutely and Mariam walked on as if nothing had happened.

It was true. She had been wearing the same clothes for over two weeks. They smelled, _she_ smelled— Mariam wouldn't deny it. No wonder Kai pushed her away in disgust; maybe he had picked up her scent.

But with a shower (cold water, since hot water was a provision she couldn't afford at the moment) and a set of fresh clothes, she would be slightly more energised, ready to try and reactivate Joseph's memories.

Her apartment was quite a walk away. It was way past dark when she arrived at the block of flats, maybe nearing ten o'clock. She smiled to herself as she saw that a new door had replaced (although it was shabby, without a lock and obviously wouldn't last long) the one that Kai had knocked down, but this also meant that she would have to pay extra on the rent that month. Mariam sighed. And since she hadn't been at work (she had phoned to try and explain, but they didn't really give a damn), she had lost the job thus lost their only income.

She couldn't exactly ask Max for more money— he had done so much for her, and it was more _embarrassing _than anything else.

Now under the (freezing) shower, fatigue was beginning to overwhelm her. She just really needed some decent sleep— a good night's rest. Exhaustion began to darken her eye sight as she stepped out of the shower, drying herself with a fluffy (formerly white, now grey) towel. Collapsing on the bed, she glared at the wardrobe on the other side of the bed. Did she have enough energy?

It was a warm night, and the covers were awfully inviting.

* * *

"Mariam? Mariam, are you here?"

Kai had been to the hospital, wanting to make some sort of amendment for the way he had left. It had taken him two weeks to sum up enough courage to go to the hospital to 'apologise' (he wasn't going to say '_sorry' _literally, but in context), only to discover that Ms Shield had decided to sleep at her flat that night. She would be back the next morning, but Kai had rehearsed his words too many times to just go back home and wait.

How sad was it that he had to practise what he was going to say?

Almost as sad as remember exactly where her apartment block was, and what her number was.

_You are going soft, Kai. Might as well grab the girl and ride your horse into the sunset now._

A small part of him whispered that he wouldn't mind, but the rest of the stoic Russian ignored that thought completely. He didn't have a horse, after all. Kai had sighed in relief when he noticed the new door (although it looked like it had seen many other door-frames in its day) but frowned when he realised that the lock was absent. Maybe he should get her a door. It wasn't exactly going to put a dent in his finances, and it had been his fault.

The place was just as he remembered it. It was messy and...

The knife was still under the kitchen table.

He glared at it disdainfully before picking it up and putting it back in the draw with other cutlery. However, the draw was broken and wouldn't close properly.

He would never have been able to cope with a living space like this. It only just occurred to him that what Mariam said about him being spoilt might have been true. He hadn't necessarily been surrounded by wealth for all of his life, but the Biovolt complex had always been kept in immaculate condition (much as he hated to admit it).

Where was she? _Sleeping, _his mind answered. It was eleven thirty. She was most likely catching up on her lost sleep. But still, he just had to apologise. He couldn't wait around until she woke up. He'd just mutter something about being too harsh then be on his merry way _away _from her.

Kai walked over to the bedroom and opened the door. "Mariam, I just want to... apologise for my act—_aah_!" Kai's eyes bulged out of his sockets. Was he seeing what he thought he was seeing? Was she _naked_?

_Jtioh...wggr...whio...egnla..._

No logical thoughts were processed in Kai's brain. She was naked! Nekkid! Birthday suit! Undressed! Without clothes! In all her 'natural glory'! Had he not been Kai, he would have been drooling (however, he did have to wipe away some blood from his nose). She must have decided to go to bed... 'commando' and had kicked the covers off whilst she was sleeping.

Just at this point (_cruel, cruel fate,_ Kai mused), Mariam began to stir. She groaned before opening one of her emerald eyes half-way. She noticed Kai staring at her with a bright red face and her brows furrowed before she pushed herself up into a sitting position. "Kai?" she slurred, "What're y' doin' 'ere?" She rubbed her eyes before looking down at herself.

Mariam screamed.

* * *

"Pervert!"

Kai dodged the lamp.

"Lecher!"

A baseball hit him on the nose. Ouch, that hurt and also happened to re-activate his nose-bleed. He put a hand to his nose in an attempt to halt the bleeding. Couldn't she throw him a box of tissues or something?

"PEEPING TOM!"

"Ow! Hey, I didn't—_argh_! Will you let me finish? OW!"

"What do you think you were doing _watching _me... naked?" She had wrapped the covers around her body and was now glaring at Kai, imaging all types of torture for the Russian beyblader to go through— including cutting off a certain part of his anatomy.

"What were _you _doing naked?"

How could he just direct the question back to her? She was the one that was meant to be outraged, but he was also throwing a tantrum. Of course, because it was _never _Kai's fault... "It's my apartment! I can choose to wear or not wear what I want!"

"So you parade around naked? Ew." Great. Now the nosebleed was worse. Stupid, horny inner man. Kai couldn't believe that 'he' was getting so worked up about Mariam. She wasn't even that pretty! (_Liar...)_

"Why are you sneaking into my apartment?"

"I wasn't sneaking! I wanted to... _apologise _for the last time we met." That was really, _really _hard to say. He hated this stupid 'apology' thing— why in the name of Dranzer had he decided to do this again?

"You, apologise?" She burst out laughing before gripping tightly on her covers— they had begun to slip (Kai ignored the small feeling of disappointment). "Yeah right. How did you know I was here, then? Hmmm?"

Kai tilted his head back to try and stop the nose-bleed, content that she was out of things to throw. "I went to the hospital but they said you had gone back to your apartment."

"Oh, so you're still my stalker, huh? I thought I had gotten rid of you! Why didn't you wait for me to come back in the morning?"

"Because... because... just shut up!"

That insufferable man! "Me? This is my apartment! _YOU _shut up!"


	11. Waiting and Dreading

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Beyblade.  
**Title: **Waiting in the Wings**  
Chapter Title: **Waiting and Dreading  
**Rating: **T  
**Categories: **Romance/Drama  
**Summary: **Mariam and Kai both want to be independent, not relying on someone else. Not relying on 'love'. When they meet, their opinions only grow stronger. But could there be love waiting in the fiery wings of Dranzer?  
**Feedback: **Reviews spur me on. I thought that you would have figured this out by now.  
**Status: **Slow updates due to exams and lack of interest in Beyblade.  
**Notes: **So after a long, _long _hiatus, I bring you another update.

* * *

**WAITING IN THE WINGS**

_Kai/Mariam  
Mariam and Kai both want to be independent, not relying on someone else. Not relying on 'love'. When they meet, their opinions only grow stronger. But could there be love waiting in the fiery wings of Dranzer?_

**_Flowerperson  
_**© 2006

* * *

**Part XI**  
_Waiting and Dreading_

_Kai tilted his head back to try and stop the nose-bleed, content that she was out of things to throw. "I went to the hospital but they said you had gone back to your apartment."_

"_Oh, so you're still my stalker, huh? I thought I had gotten rid of you! Why didn't you wait for me to come back in the morning?"_

"_Because... because... just shut up!"_

_That insufferable man! "Me? This is my apartment! _YOU_ shut up!"

* * *

_

She should apologise.

No, no, no! She wouldn't— _couldn't _—apologise! It was _his _fault so why should _she _have to say sorry?

Mariam sighed as she stirred the milky tea. She had refused to go to _'Caffeine', _just in case a certain Russian was there so had instead bought a cup of tea from the 'Tuck Shop Lady', or 'Mai', at the hospital as her cart wheeled past. It wasn't as great as the coffee, but it was quite sweet. With her mood at the moment, she needed sugar. Lots and lots of sugar. Chocolate ice-cream sounded good too.

Well, she did chuck lamps and other objects that weren't glued to the floor at him. Mariam knew for a fact that she had a powerful throw (thanks to her training when she was a beyblader) and the baseball had hit his nose directly. It was probably broken.

Served him right.

And he _did _come to ask (Kai begging would have been entertaining) for forgiveness.

But he was ogling her… 'nakedness'.

He didn't know that she had decided to sleep naked.

He was stalking her!

She should be flattered, really, from such an attractive man such as Kai…

What was she doing? How was _Kai _attractive? He had such weird, blue hair—

Hmmm, and her blue locks were just _so _normal.

—narrow, _evil _eyes—

That she found herself enchanted by.

—make-up, which made her believe he was homosexual—

Hopefully, he was at least bisexual.

Okay, fine. Perhaps she was slightly attracted to him. But that was only physical attraction based on his toned body. How had she seen it? Come _on, _every girl had seen the topless picture of Kai in '_Beyblade Boys!' _Embarrassingly, she had even swooned over him then too… _Not _that she was swooning over him now. She was a woman, dammit! A fully grown, _mature _woman.

He had big feet too. And everyone knew that big feet meant…

_Big socks, _her mind answered dumbly as a warm, red blush consumed her face like a virus. Great. She couldn't even finish the sentence mentally without blushing like a teenager. 'Mature women' did not blush at the prospect of men's 'private parts'. She had seen a man's 'private parts', so why did she find this so embarrassing and blush-worthy?

_Because it's _Kai's _'private parts'_.

She hated this— hated being attracted to a guy she had probably broken the nose of. Would the emotionless Russian even accept her apology? She hadn't really accepted his… so she supposed he could turn it round on her as payback.

Mariam despised the concept of 'revenge'. Such an ugly word, and always brought the worse repercussions. Like the time she had painted Dunga's toenails bright pink so he had drawn a moustache on her face in permanent marker (that took _weeks _to fade).

Kai was probably the most vengeful; he'd probably do much worse to her.

_Maybe he'd let me see him naked… that wouldn't be such a bad thing…_

As the mental picture hit her, Mariam fell out of her chair.

"Urgh," she grumbled as she got onto her feet. Looking at the clock, she saw that it was around one o'clock. The doctor said he'd be finished with Joseph around two. She would use that time to locate Kai, and apologise. Then run off before he could start chucking stuff at _her_.

_Oh Spirits, please don't let Kai be a vengeful man.

* * *

_

"Hey, Kai! What you been up to?"

Brows furrowing, Kai tried his best to ignore his childhood rival from behind the paper he was reading. Trust the idiot to be in the vicinity when all the Russian wanted was some peace and quiet. He was getting fed up of his bad luck.

Tyson, undeterred with Kai's lack of response, sat across from him in the café.

Personally, Kai preferred the coffee shop '_Caffeine' _but could not chance another run-in with Mariam for a long time. That woman was dead-set on castrating him slowly after the… _incident. _And now, he was stuck with the pig. Perfect, he thought cynically.

A waitress brought Kai the espresso he had ordered earlier then turned to his companion.

"Can I bring you something, sir?" she asked, smacking her gum and taking out a notepad.

Tyson flashed the waitress one of his cheesy smiles, "My buddy here is treating me to a large soda and deluxe-meat sandwich, isn't that right, Kai?" Kai grunted, not wanting to be dragged into an argument with the loudmouth. Really, he'd had enough. His paper had still not been lowered. It wasn't like it would affect his accounts much, anyway. (Although Tyson was rolling in the money after all the sponsorships and guest appearances he made. Cheap-skate.)

The waitress rolled her eyes at his wink, then went off to fetch the sandwich and drink— Kai hoped she poisoned it, or _at least _spat in it for the blue-haired man's stupid behaviour. Dranzer knew how many times Kai had wanted to insert toxic substances into the former-Beyblading Champion's food.

"Kai! Oi, Kai! Earth to Kai!"

Couldn't the pig see that he was not in the mood to have an argument? And that was exactly what having a conversation with him would lead to.

Beginning to be irked by Kai's deliberate silence, Tyson snatched the paper out of his hands. "Aren't you even going to— oh, ho, ho!" he suddenly broke out into loud laughter, making more than a few people look their way.

Mahogany eyes narrowed and an angry growl (_"Tyson…"_) was heard from his lips.

"What happened to you, huh?" Tyson chuckled, pointing at the bandage over Kai's nose (yes, Mariam had managed to damage the stoic Russian's nose with her hysterical throwing of objects). He poked it, making Kai wince before grabbing his wrist, tempted to snap it. "Get into a little fight on one of your nightly patrols, eh, Phoenix-Man?"

"Shut up, Tyson," Kai hissed, rubbing his throbbing nose, "I'm not in the mood."

Tyson burst into snickers, "Just wait when I tell the guys about this— you'll never live it down! So who was it? Some drunken weightlifter? They'd have to be big to take down the infamous Kai Hiwatari!"

He frowned, "No, it wasn't."

"Some lady smacked you with her handbag?"

Kai flinched. Tyson grinned.

"It was, wasn't it? It was a girl! _A girl!_ Now I _gotta _tell the guys…"

In the blink of an eye, Kai had reached forward and grabbed Tyson's collar with both of his hands, bringing their faces merely a few inches apart. "You tell anyone— _anyone— _and I'd make you wish you had never been born."

"How you gonna do that, Kai?" Tyson replied, smirking. Stupid, arrogant pig!

"Oh, I'm sure I can think of something…" Kai leaned back into his chair, aloof. "And it begins with H."

This time it was Tyson who frowned. He waved his hand dismissively. "Yeah, yeah, sure; whatever. Not like I care about your twisted love life anyway. To be honest I thought you swung the other way…"

"Tyson," Kai warned.

The chocolate-eyed man chuckled nervously, remembering his ex-team-mate's threat. He recovered after a few seconds, resting his head on the palm of his hand, curiosity alight in his eyes. Kai suppressed the urge to run a hand through his hair. He knew what was coming…

"So…" Tyson began, "Why did this lady hit you? Young or old? Attractive or repulsive? Easy or frigid?" Kai scowled at his crude interrogation and picked up his paper, resuming his reading. "Ha, you know I'm only kidding. But you must have done something for her to hit you… Unless it was someone like Hilary… Wait a second, was it Hilary? Doesn't take much for her to get upset and start throwing punches," he rubbed his head, as if remembering one of his past experiences with Hilary's fists.

"It wasn't Hilary." Although now he thought about it, she was similar to Hilary in some ways. She wasn't as loud, or as bossy but she still had her weird moments. Or maybe all women were just like that.

The waitress had arrived with Tyson's food and he eagerly tucked in, showing no table manners— as expected of the pig.

With a mouthful of bread and meat, Tyson asked more about the mysterious woman. "So, do you know her name?"

"If I did, I wouldn't tell you."

"Met her before?"

No response.

"Have _I _met her before?"

Again, no response.

"Hey, I have, haven't I? Oh, this is great! Better than great; it's fantastic! Now… let me think… Mariah? She's feisty; but she hasn't been her for over a month so it's not her. Emily's still in America, and I doubt she'd have enough power to hit you, anyway… Ming-Ming?" he paused, shuddering, "Well, she's still on tour in the USA, anyway. Queen has been 'missing' for years, as has Salima."

He put a finger to his stubbly chin (obviously the slob hadn't shaved in a few days), thinking.

"Mariam… well, Max told me she had moved to Tokyo recently. I haven't run across her yet, and Max said he hasn't heard much from her either. Maybe she couldn't take the busy streets, since she comes from a small village. I wonder why she left her home, anyway…" Tyson rambled on (forgetting why he was talking about all the girls he knew, luckily for his former team-mate) whilst Kai pondered over the topics the rambling idiot brought up.

Who knew that the pig could actually mention something Kai would be intrigued about? Why _did_ Mariam leave her village? And why did only she and Joseph come? Kai had always believed in the phrase _'Curiosity killed the cat'_, but, well, he wasn't exactly a cat, was he?

A few minutes later, Tyson's plate was empty and he downed the last of his soda. "Well, I guess I'll be leaving you know. I was supposed to meet Chief twenty minutes ago but you know him— he won't mind if I'm a bit late. Heh-heh. See ya!"

Now that the loudmouth pig was gone, Kai was left with peace, quiet and the bill. He fished the money out of his pockets and left the exact money on the table, leaving no tips for the gum-chewing waitress; the service wasn't that good. The Russian checked the time— half past one; perhaps he'd phone Gou later— and walked along the streets back towards the grand Hiwatari mansion.

Bah. What did he care about those stupid questions? The woman was crazy with a capital 'C'! If she saw him, she'd probably chuck more stuff (except probably to more intimate areas to see if she could damage those too).

Really, it would so much more beneficial for him and his body parts to _avoid _the ex-Saint-Shield as much as he could, if not for the rest of his life. However, it was annoying how every other thought seemed to centre on her, if not _every _thought… with the occasional disgust for Tyson, of course. Then again, when he had been younger, every thought of his had centred on defeating Tyson (and Brooklyn, and many other adversaries) and regaining his title as the Beyblade Champion.

But Fate was unkind, and that damn amateur was lucky. He knew that without Tyson, he'd probably be as crazy as Brooklyn, back in the Biovolt complex and pushing himself towards death. Heck, he'd probably be dead before he even became an adult. Now Kai had his own house (with no evil relatives alive or out of jail), a son, _friends_— he grimaced at the prospect that Tyson could be included in that oh-so-selective group— and… well… a girl that he was sort-of interested in…

Abruptly, Kai slapped himself. And then realised that he had thwacked his _delicate _nose and began cursing in pain.

_Damn woman. She's not even here and I'm still getting hurt because of her._

Attempting to soothe his ache by lightly brushing it, Kai was oblivious to the figure in front of him, standing by the gate to his home.

"Kai," an all-too familiar voice greeted; "I've been waiting for you…"

* * *


End file.
